Reviews and Reports

Hear From Our Children

“The teachers are great! They spend time with you and help you.”
Oliver – 7 years

“All the teachers know the names of all the children at our school and they really care about us.”
Annabel – 9 years

“Orchard House is like my second home.”
Chloe – 6 years

“It is a small, friendly school that brings everyone together.”
Poppy – 8 years

“I love the matches, everyone gets a chance to play and represent the school.”
Sam – 10 years

“We’re all friends and we have fun.”
Grace – 5 years

“Interactive whiteboards make our lessons fun and interesting.”
William – 9 years

“The food is delicious and the tacos are really tasty.”
Olivia – 11 years

Hear From Our Parents

“I was so moved and impressed by all the teachers on the trip. It reaffirmed our choice of sending our children to OHS. The focus on good manners, politeness and consideration to others was well balanced and delivered with authority and affection. I can see why the children all grow up to be confident and assertive; it’s because they are treated with respect and discipline in equal proportions.”

Mrs Barclay

“Both Emily and Johnny loved their time at Orchard House and it has been amazing to see how they have developed and grown during their time there. Emily looks back at her time at OHS with very fond memories, and I’m sure Johnny will do too. All their teachers, and other staff, have been wonderful, without exception. Orchard House is a very special school.”

Mr Pitman

“I just wanted to mention what a great idea the holiday “homework” was. It was really refreshing for the boys to be given a list of fun, diverse and challenging activities to complete. Aside from it not being focused on academics, it also gave them the chance to try out activities that they’d not had the opportunity to do before.”

Mrs Thaysen

What the independent inspectors think of us

Orchard House School is routinely inspected by the ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate). The inspection team inspects every aspect of the school as well as observing the quality of the teaching and learning.

Orchard House was inspected in November 2022 and received a Focused Compliance Inspection combined with an Educational Quality Inspection. The FCI reports only on the school’s compliance with certain regulations. The EQI reports on the quality of the school’s work focusing on two outcomes, the achievement of the pupils, including their academic development and the personal development of the pupils.

The report can be read here. Orchard House School ‘met’ all the standards in the compliance inspection, and has been judged excellent in both areas of the educational quality of the school.

Reading the report, parents will get a sense of how impressed the inspection team were with the whole school community. The staff also received many warm and encouraging informal comments from the inspectors during the week they were here.

The key findings of the report:

The school meets the standards in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014, and relevant requirements of the statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage, and associated requirements, and no further action is required as a result of the inspection.

  • The quality of the pupils’ academic and other achievements is excellent.
  • Pupils of all abilities are motivated learners who achieve high standards across the curriculum by the time they leave the school.
  • Pupils have outstanding attitudes to learning.
  • Pupils have excellent communication skills; they are highly articulate and confident speakers who listen and respond maturely.
  • Pupils achieve excellent results in sporting activities and in the creative arts. The quality of the pupils’ personal development is excellent. – Pupils are highly self-aware, appreciating and consistently adhering to the school’s values.
  • Pupils have a strong moral code; they understand the need for rules and their behaviour around the school is excellent.
  • Pupils’ social development is excellent; relationships between pupils and staff, including those from different cultures, are warm and positive.
  • Pupils of all ages undertake leadership roles conscientiously and contribute positively to the school community.

Download the 2023 Material Change Inspection Report

Download the 2022 full report

Download the 2018 regulatory compliance report