Orchards Junior School

Worthing · BN12 6EN

General information Junior School · 7-11 years Who goes here 496 pupils, 29.6% FSM

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN Resourced provision · 37.3% on SEN support Behaviour 6.7% absence rate Staff 10.8% turnover Financials £7,059 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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Orchards Junior School

General Information

Address: Nelson Road, Worthing, BN12 6EN – View on map
Phone: 01903520202
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Paul Jones
Age range: 7-11 years
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: Does not apply
Nursery provision: No

Who goes here

496 pupils out of 558 places

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 147
% eligible for free school meals: 29.6%
Pupil mix: 4 in 10 (similar to the Worthing average)
English as an additional language: 15% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 10.8% a year (Worthing 13.7%, typical in England 13.9%)
Where they went: about 32% moved to another school, 68% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)

Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house.

Behaviour

Awaiting Data

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across West Sussex: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 12 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 1
Suspensions for bullying: 10 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 4 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)

These are figures for all state primary schools in West Sussex (the council area this school is in), not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.

Attendance

Overall absence: 6.7%
Persistently absent pupils: 18.4%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

Resourced provision for Speech, language and communication 15 places · 14 pupils at the last count

Places are usually for children with an EHC Plan and are arranged through the council, not the normal school application.

Pupils on SEN Support: 37.3%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 9.7%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Specific learning difficulty: 70 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 39 pupils
Other difficulty or disability: 34 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 28 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 9 pupils

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Speech, language and communications needs: 29 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 8 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 7 pupils
Physical disability: 2 pupils
Other difficulty or disability: 2 pupils

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Good 2024 report

About this Ofsted rating

Ofsted changed how it rates schools in the last couple of years, so ratings from different years aren't always on the same scale - that's why we show the year alongside every rating.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 61% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 2% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: in line with the Worthing average (63%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: Above (3-year average 60% against an expected 55%)
3-year average (expected standard): 60%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 75% · Writing 70% · Maths 74% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 67%
Average test scores: reading 105, maths 102
Based on: 122 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25

View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.

SATs results over time

This schoolWorthing averageEngland→ Broadly steady No clear rise or fall since 2022/23 (changes this small are normal from one year group to the next). In 2024/25 this school was in line with the Worthing average (63%).

Year 6 SATs: 10th of 17 junior and primary schools in the area

#8Hawthorns Primary School67%
#9West Park CofE Primary (Controlled) School65%
#10Orchards Junior School61%
#11Bramber Primary School57%
#12St Mary's Catholic Primary School54%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

#1Broadwater CofE Primary School77%
#2Goring-By-Sea CofE (Aided) Primary School73%
=3Downsbrook Primary School70%
=3Durrington Junior School70%
#5Vale School, Worthing69%
=6Thomas A Becket Junior School68%
=6Whytemead Primary School68%
#8Hawthorns Primary School67%
#9West Park CofE Primary (Controlled) School65%
#10Orchards Junior School61%
#11Bramber Primary School57%
#12St Mary's Catholic Primary School54%
#13Homefield Primary School and SSC53%
#14Elm Grove Primary School, Worthing52%
#15English Martyrs Catholic Primary School, Worthing47%
#16Heene CofE Primary School43%
#17The Laurels Primary School, Worthing35%

View full Ofsted inspection report

2nd of 3 junior schools in Worthing for Ofsted rating

#1Durrington Junior SchoolGood
#2Orchards Junior SchoolGood
#3Thomas A Becket Junior SchoolGood

Click to see the full ranking

Ofsted Rating ranking

Based on real Ofsted ratings (via official DfE data) for schools on the same four-word grading scale.

Rank School Score

#1Durrington Junior SchoolGood
#2Orchards Junior SchoolGood
#3Thomas A Becket Junior SchoolGood

Financials

Spending per pupil: £7,059 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

1st of 3 junior schools in Worthing for spending per pupil

#1Orchards Junior School£7,059
#2Durrington Junior School£6,214
#3Thomas A Becket Junior School£5,580

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1Orchards Junior School£7,059
#2Durrington Junior School£6,214
#3Thomas A Becket Junior School£5,580

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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