What did Ofsted judge Orchards Academy's quality of education to be?

Ofsted judged Orchards Academy's quality of education as Good at its inspection in March 2025, on Ofsted's own scale.

How many pupils attend Orchards Academy?

Orchards Academy has 554 pupils on roll.

What ages does Orchards Academy take?

Orchards Academy admits pupils aged 11 to 18.

Where is Orchards Academy located?

Orchards Academy is located in Swanley, BR8 7TE, Kent.

How do I apply to Orchards Academy?

Orchards Academy is a state school. In England you apply through the council where you live, using its common application form, even if the school is in another council area. The national closing date for secondary places is 31 October.

How are Year 7 places decided at Orchards Academy?

When Orchards Academy has more applications than places for 2027-28, they are offered in a published order of priority: 1. Looked after/previously looked after children — Children in Local Authority Care or Previously in Local Authority Care including those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted – a 'looked after child' or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order; 2. Siblings — Admission of students whose siblings currently attend the school and who will continue to do so at the time of entry. (Note; the term 'sibling' includes full- half-, and step-siblings and those living as siblings in the same family unit on the role of Orchards Academy); 3. Health and Special Access Reasons — Medical, health, social and special access reasons will be applied in accordance with the school's legal obligations, in particular those under the Equality Act 2010. Priority will be given to those children whose mental or physical impairment means they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Equally this priority will apply to children whose parents'/guardians' physical or mental health or social needs mean that they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Such claims will need to be supported by written evidence from a suitably qualified medical or other practitioner who can demonstrate a special connection between these needs and the particular school, and 3 further criteria. The school offers 150 places at this entry point. Tie-break: Where two children have an otherwise equal priority under the oversubscription criteria random selection will be used to establish which is ranked ahead of the other. This process will be independently supervised.

What is the largest ethnic background at Orchards Academy?

According to the DfE School Census 2025-26, 77.1% of pupils at Orchards Academy are recorded as White British. The full ethnic breakdown across all groups is available on the Pupils tab.

Orchards Academy: Ofsted, Results & Catchment 2026

How places are decided at Orchards Academy

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Year 7), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1Looked after/previously looked after children — Children in Local Authority Care or Previously in Local Authority Care including those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted – a 'looked after child' or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order.
2Siblings — Admission of students whose siblings currently attend the school and who will continue to do so at the time of entry. (Note; the term 'sibling' includes full- half-, and step-siblings and those living as siblings in the same family unit on the role of Orchards Academy)
3Health and Special Access Reasons — Medical, health, social and special access reasons will be applied in accordance with the school's legal obligations, in particular those under the Equality Act 2010. Priority will be given to those children whose mental or physical impairment means they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Equally this priority will apply to children whose parents'/guardians' physical or mental health or social needs mean that they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Such claims will need to be supported by written evidence from a suitably qualified medical or other practitioner who can demonstrate a special connection between these needs and the particular school.
4Nearness of home to school — Nearness of children's homes to school - we use the distance between the child's permanent home address and the school, measured in a straight line using the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) address point data.
5Random selection tie-break — Where two children have an otherwise equal priority under the oversubscription criteria random selection will be used to establish which is ranked ahead of the other. This process will be independently supervised.
6Multiple births — If siblings from multiple births (twins, triplets, etc) apply for a school and the school would reach its Published Admission Number (PAN) after admitting one or more, but before admitting all of those siblings, the LA will offer a place to each of the siblings, even if doing so takes the school above its PAN.

If two applications tie: Where two children have an otherwise equal priority under the oversubscription criteria random selection will be used to establish which is ranked ahead of the other. This process will be independently supervised.

PAN increased with policy reissued Feb 2026; entry point is Year 7 (11-16 provision) as school does not have Post-16 provision.

Published by the admission authority. Meeting a criterion never guarantees a place — it sets the order places are offered in. Full detail, other entry points and previous years are on the Admissions tab.

Orchards Academy: key facts

What did Ofsted judge Orchards Academy's quality of education to be?: Ofsted judged Orchards Academy's quality of education as Good at its inspection in March 2025, on Ofsted's own scale.
How many pupils attend Orchards Academy?: Orchards Academy has 554 pupils on roll.
What ages does Orchards Academy take?: Orchards Academy admits pupils aged 11 to 18.
Where is Orchards Academy located?: Orchards Academy is located in Swanley, BR8 7TE, Kent.
How do I apply to Orchards Academy?: Orchards Academy is a state school. In England you apply through the council where you live, using its common application form, even if the school is in another council area. The national closing date for secondary places is 31 October.
How are Year 7 places decided at Orchards Academy?: When Orchards Academy has more applications than places for 2027-28, they are offered in a published order of priority: 1. Looked after/previously looked after children — Children in Local Authority Care or Previously in Local Authority Care including those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted – a 'looked after child' or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order; 2. Siblings — Admission of students whose siblings currently attend the school and who will continue to do so at the time of entry. (Note; the term 'sibling' includes full- half-, and step-siblings and those living as siblings in the same family unit on the role of Orchards Academy); 3. Health and Special Access Reasons — Medical, health, social and special access reasons will be applied in accordance with the school's legal obligations, in particular those under the Equality Act 2010. Priority will be given to those children whose mental or physical impairment means they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Equally this priority will apply to children whose parents'/guardians' physical or mental health or social needs mean that they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Such claims will need to be supported by written evidence from a suitably qualified medical or other practitioner who can demonstrate a special connection between these needs and the particular school, and 3 further criteria. The school offers 150 places at this entry point. Tie-break: Where two children have an otherwise equal priority under the oversubscription criteria random selection will be used to establish which is ranked ahead of the other. This process will be independently supervised.
What is the largest ethnic background at Orchards Academy?: According to the DfE School Census 2025-26, 77.1% of pupils at Orchards Academy are recorded as White British. The full ethnic breakdown across all groups is available on the Pupils tab.

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How places are decided at Orchards Academy

When there are more applications than places for 2027-28 (Year 7), places are offered in this order of priority. Meeting a higher criterion beats meeting a lower one.

1Looked after/previously looked after children — Children in Local Authority Care or Previously in Local Authority Care including those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted – a 'looked after child' or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order.
2Siblings — Admission of students whose siblings currently attend the school and who will continue to do so at the time of entry. (Note; the term 'sibling' includes full- half-, and step-siblings and those living as siblings in the same family unit on the role of Orchards Academy)
3Health and Special Access Reasons — Medical, health, social and special access reasons will be applied in accordance with the school's legal obligations, in particular those under the Equality Act 2010. Priority will be given to those children whose mental or physical impairment means they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Equally this priority will apply to children whose parents'/guardians' physical or mental health or social needs mean that they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Such claims will need to be supported by written evidence from a suitably qualified medical or other practitioner who can demonstrate a special connection between these needs and the particular school.
4Nearness of home to school — Nearness of children's homes to school - we use the distance between the child's permanent home address and the school, measured in a straight line using the National Land and Property Gazetteer (NLPG) address point data.
5Random selection tie-break — Where two children have an otherwise equal priority under the oversubscription criteria random selection will be used to establish which is ranked ahead of the other. This process will be independently supervised.
6Multiple births — If siblings from multiple births (twins, triplets, etc) apply for a school and the school would reach its Published Admission Number (PAN) after admitting one or more, but before admitting all of those siblings, the LA will offer a place to each of the siblings, even if doing so takes the school above its PAN.

PAN increased with policy reissued Feb 2026; entry point is Year 7 (11-16 provision) as school does not have Post-16 provision.

Orchards Academy: key facts

What did Ofsted judge Orchards Academy's quality of education to be?: Ofsted judged Orchards Academy's quality of education as Good at its inspection in March 2025, on Ofsted's own scale.
How many pupils attend Orchards Academy?: Orchards Academy has 554 pupils on roll.
What ages does Orchards Academy take?: Orchards Academy admits pupils aged 11 to 18.
Where is Orchards Academy located?: Orchards Academy is located in Swanley, BR8 7TE, Kent.
How do I apply to Orchards Academy?: Orchards Academy is a state school. In England you apply through the council where you live, using its common application form, even if the school is in another council area. The national closing date for secondary places is 31 October.
How are Year 7 places decided at Orchards Academy?: When Orchards Academy has more applications than places for 2027-28, they are offered in a published order of priority: 1. Looked after/previously looked after children — Children in Local Authority Care or Previously in Local Authority Care including those children who appear (to the admission authority) to have been in state care outside of England and ceased to be in state care as a result of being adopted – a 'looked after child' or a child who was previously looked after but immediately after being looked after became subject to an adoption, child arrangements, or special guardianship order; 2. Siblings — Admission of students whose siblings currently attend the school and who will continue to do so at the time of entry. (Note; the term 'sibling' includes full- half-, and step-siblings and those living as siblings in the same family unit on the role of Orchards Academy); 3. Health and Special Access Reasons — Medical, health, social and special access reasons will be applied in accordance with the school's legal obligations, in particular those under the Equality Act 2010. Priority will be given to those children whose mental or physical impairment means they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Equally this priority will apply to children whose parents'/guardians' physical or mental health or social needs mean that they have a demonstrable and significant need to attend a particular school. Such claims will need to be supported by written evidence from a suitably qualified medical or other practitioner who can demonstrate a special connection between these needs and the particular school, and 3 further criteria. The school offers 150 places at this entry point. Tie-break: Where two children have an otherwise equal priority under the oversubscription criteria random selection will be used to establish which is ranked ahead of the other. This process will be independently supervised.
What is the largest ethnic background at Orchards Academy?: According to the DfE School Census 2025-26, 77.1% of pupils at Orchards Academy are recorded as White British. The full ethnic breakdown across all groups is available on the Pupils tab.

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Orchards Academy

How places are decided at Orchards Academy

Orchards Academy: key facts

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Orchards Academy

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How places are decided at Orchards Academy

Orchards Academy: key facts

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