Ofsted four-point inspection gradesInspected 21 Sept 2021
Source: Get Information about Schools, URN 150365.
Pupils at the January school census.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Total pupils | 281 |
| Girls | 137 |
| Boys | 144 |
| Eligible for free school mealsPupils from low-income families who can get free school meals. | 16% |
| First language not English | 14.6% |
| School places2024/25Capacity, not including nursery. | 360 |
| Pupils excluding nurseryPupils who take up school places. | 237 |
| Unfilled placesShare of school places not taken. | 34.2% |
| SEN supportPupils with special educational needs who get extra help at school. | 40 |
| EHC planEducation, health and care plan: a legal plan for pupils with more complex needs. | 24 |
| Average class size | 23.9 |
Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics and School capacity, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.
Share of pupils in each ethnic group, as recorded at the January school census.
Source: DfE, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, Academic year 2025/26, published 04 Jun 2026.
Staff numbers are full-time equivalent (FTE). Teacher turnover shows where the school's teachers were by the following year's census.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Pupils per teacher | 21.3 |
| Pupils per adultAdults include teaching assistants. | 11 |
| Teachers (FTE) | 12.67 |
| Teaching assistants (FTE) | 11.83 |
| Support staff (FTE) | 15.99 |
| Teachers in census year (FTE)2024/25 | 13.1 |
| Teachers who stayed (FTE)2024/25 | 10.7 |
| Teachers who moved to another state school (FTE)2024/25 | 0.8 |
| Teachers who left state schools (FTE)2024/25 | 1.6 |
Source: DfE, School workforce in England, Reporting year 2025, published 04 Jun 2026.
Applications and offers for the main entry points. Offers from oversubscribed schools depend on each school's admissions criteria; check the local authority admissions page.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Offers made (Reception)Places offered on national offer day. | 67 |
| Applications (Reception)Includes every preference parents listed. | 157 |
| First preference applications (Reception)Families who put this school as their first choice. | 64 |
| First preference offers (Reception)First-choice applicants who were offered a place. | 64 |
| Applications from another local authority (Reception) | 0 |
Source: DfE, Primary and secondary school applications and offers, Academic year 2026/27, published 18 Jun 2026.
Share of possible sessions missed.
| Measure | This school | West Sussex | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall absence | 7.5%, worse than England, worse than West Sussex | 5.1% | 5.1% |
| Persistent absencePupils missing 10% or more of sessions. | 28.8%, worse than England, worse than West Sussex | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| Severe absencePupils missing 50% or more of sessions. | 0.6%, similar to England, similar to West Sussex | 1% | 1% |
Source: DfE, Pupil absence in schools in England, Autumn and spring term 2025/26, published 15 Oct 2026.
Suspension rate is the number of suspensions per 100 pupils, so one pupil can be counted more than once. A permanently excluded pupil is removed from the school roll.
| Measure | This school |
|---|---|
| Suspension rate | 4.4% |
| Pupils with one or more suspensions | 2.9% |
| Permanent exclusion rate | 0% |
| Permanent exclusions | 0 |
Source: DfE, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, Academic year 2024/25, published 09 Jul 2026.
Ratings include official Ofsted judgements and Area360 summaries of inspection grades. Open a school’s profile for its inspection grades and results.
| Distance | Phase | Name | Type | Rating | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 mi | Primary | Orchards Junior School | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 11 Sept 2018. | |
| 0.3 mi | Primary | English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, Worthing | Voluntary aided school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 4 Oct 2022. | |
| 0.5 mi | Primary | West Park CofE Primary (Controlled) School | Voluntary controlled school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 10 Feb 2016. | |
| 0.6 mi | Primary | Goring-By-Sea CofE (Aided) Primary School | Voluntary aided school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 9 May 2018. | |
| 0.6 mi | Secondary | Durrington High School | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 17 Mar 2022. | |
| 0.6 mi | Primary | Hawthorns Primary School | Academy sponsor led | Requires improvement Ofsted rating. Inspected 6 Oct 2021. | |
| 0.7 mi | Primary | The Laurels Primary School, Worthing | Academy converter | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 19 Oct 2022. | |
| 0.7 mi | Primary | Elm Grove Primary School, Worthing | Community school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 23 Jan 2024. | |
| 0.9 mi | Secondary | St Oscar Romero Catholic School | Voluntary aided school | Outstanding Area360 rating. Inspected 29 Apr 2025. | |
| 1.0 mi | Primary | Thomas A Becket Infant School | Community school | Good Ofsted rating. Inspected 2 Jul 2015. |
Orchards Infant School is rated Requires improvement by Ofsted, last inspected on 21 Sept 2021.
For Reception entry in 2026/27, Orchards Infant School made 67 offers from 157 applications (2.3 per offer), and 64 of 64 first-preference applicants got a place. Applications include every preference parents listed.
Orchards Infant School has 281 pupils aged 3 to 7.
Orchards Infant School had 360 school places in 2024/25.
At Orchards Infant School, the average class had 23.9 pupils in 2025/26, and there were 21.3 pupils per teacher.
In 2025/26, pupils at Orchards Infant School missed 7.5% of sessions (England 5.1%), and 28.8% were persistently absent, missing 10% or more of sessions (England 13.2%).
Figures are the latest published by the Department for Education for each measure. Small numbers are suppressed by the publisher to protect pupils' privacy. Read how Area360 school ratings and rankings work.