Cherry Orchard Primary School, Birmingham Review 2026: Inclusive two-form entry with strong KS2 outcomes

Cherry Orchard Primary School, Birmingham sits in Handsworth Wood and serves pupils from age 3 to 11, with a nursery class and a specially resourced provision for pupils with autism spectrum disorder. The most recent full inspection judged the school to be Good across all areas, including early years.

It is a larger-than-average primary, with capacity for 487 pupils and around the mid 400s on roll at the time of inspection, which supports a broad peer group and plenty of chances to mix across classes and year groups. Admissions are competitive, and the Reception intake is typically oversubscribed, so families need to treat application timing and realistic preferences as part of the decision, not an afterthought.

Academically, the headline story is consistently above-average Key Stage 2 attainment, backed by strong scaled scores and a high proportion reaching higher standards. For parents, that generally signals secure basics in reading, writing and maths, plus a meaningful cohort pushing beyond the expected standard.

The school’s identity is strongly values-led, and those values are used as practical language for daily routines and relationships. The latest inspection highlights equality, respect, understanding, courage, friendship and honesty as threads running through school life, with pupils showing respect for difference and feeling included. That matters in a diverse city setting, because it shapes what pupils learn about belonging, and how well the school handles disagreements, friendships and the occasional fall-out.

Behaviour is described as calm and purposeful, with pupils generally working well with peers and adults resolving issues quickly when they arise, including bullying. This is not presented as a glossy ideal; it is tied to staff knowing pupils well and taking personal development seriously. In practice, that tends to show up in consistent boundaries, predictable consequences, and adults who notice small changes in confidence or mood early.

There is also a clear leadership and community focus. Miss Alison Taylor is named as headteacher, and earlier Ofsted correspondence notes her appointment as headteacher in April 2015. More recent school documentation continues to list Alison Taylor as headteacher, alongside a deputy headteacher and business manager, which suggests stable leadership at the top even when staffing changes occur elsewhere.

A final part of the school’s character is inclusion that goes beyond slogans. The resourced provision supports pupils with autism spectrum disorder, and the inspection report states that, where possible, pupils from the provision attend mainstream classes and learn alongside their peers, while also working on life skills within their tailored curriculum. For families weighing mainstream with specialist support, that blend can be a decisive factor.

Cherry Orchard’s most recent Key Stage 2 picture is strong on both expected standards and higher standards.

In 2024, 73.33% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined. The England average is 62%. At the higher standard, 24.33% achieved greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics, compared to the England average of 8%.

Scaled scores are also healthy, with reading at 106, mathematics at 107, and grammar, punctuation and spelling at 109.

The wider attainment indicators reinforce that sense of secure foundations. In 2024, 85% reached the expected standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling, 79% in maths, and 71% in reading, while 80% met the expected standard in science.

For parents trying to benchmark the school within the local and national context, the proprietary FindMySchool ranking places the school 3,007th in England and 53rd in Birmingham for primary outcomes, which equates to being above the England average and comfortably within the top 25% of primary schools in England.

What this typically means day-to-day is not that every child will race ahead, but that the core instruction in reading and maths is doing its job for most pupils, and that the school is getting a meaningful share of pupils to higher standards rather than only meeting the minimum expected threshold.

Early reading is treated as a priority, with daily phonics starting in the early years. The inspection report describes systematic checking of reading progress and targeted support when pupils fall behind, which helps pupils become fluent and confident readers. Reading culture is reinforced by adults reading to pupils daily and selecting texts that build knowledge of authors and language. The implication for families is simple: if your child needs structure and repetition to become secure in reading, the underlying approach is designed to provide that.

The wider curriculum is described as broad and interesting, with clear end points in many subjects and deliberate revisiting of prior learning so knowledge builds over time. Inspectors note depth in subjects such as mathematics and geography, which usually indicates that pupils are expected to explain, reason and apply concepts rather than only complete surface-level tasks.

There are also clear next steps identified. In a small number of subjects, leaders are still refining the precise sequencing of “small building blocks” of knowledge, and the report notes that teachers do not always spot when pupils are ready to move on, which can lead to occasional loss of concentration. Handwriting and presentation are another improvement priority, particularly ensuring consistent expectations of letter formation across the school. For parents, these are useful questions to explore on a visit: how handwriting is taught now, what practice looks like at home, and how teachers balance neatness with content for reluctant writers.

In early years, there is an explicit focus on building vocabulary through stories, alongside teaching the basics needed for Year 1. School documentation also references targeted early language and literacy support programmes in Reception and early years, which signals awareness that oral language underpins later comprehension and writing.

As a state primary, Cherry Orchard’s main transition point is into Year 7 secondary provision in Birmingham. Allocation for secondary places is coordinated through the local authority, and families will typically weigh proximity, travel time, school ethos and, in Birmingham, the option of selective grammar pathways for those who choose to pursue them.

The school’s strongest contribution to transition is likely to be the basics that make any Year 7 start easier: fluent reading, secure number sense, and the confidence to participate in class. The personal development emphasis noted in the inspection, including resilience and confidence, is also a helpful foundation for the bigger routines and social change that come with secondary school.

Families who want a clearer sense of typical feeder routes should ask directly during a tour or information session, as published destination patterns are not always set out in detail on school websites for state primaries, and cohorts can vary year by year.

Reception entry follows Birmingham’s coordinated admissions process. For September 2026 entry, the local authority timetable states that the application period opens on 1 October 2025 and closes on 15 January 2026, with National Offer Day on 16 April 2026. Cherry Orchard’s own admissions information directs families to apply through the local authority for Reception, and to apply directly to the school for in-year admissions.

Competition for places is real. The latest available demand snapshot shows 171 applications for 55 offers for the primary entry route measured, which equates to roughly 3.11 applications per offer. This level of demand tends to translate into distance becoming decisive once priority groups are applied.

Oversubscription criteria published on the school site include priority for looked-after and previously looked-after children, then siblings, then distance measured in a straight line. Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan naming the school are admitted as required.

Nursery provision is part of the school, and the published pattern includes morning sessions Monday to Friday, 8:45 to 11:45, totalling 15 hours per week. Families considering nursery should treat this as a practical starting point for planning, because session patterns can determine whether wraparound care, family help, or a blended childcare plan is needed. Fee details for nursery are not set out here, and families should use the school’s official information for early years pricing and any funded-hours guidance.

A useful planning step is to use FindMySchool’s Map Search to check realistic travel time and to sense-check how far you are from the school compared with typical patterns of local demand. Even without a published “last distance offered” figure for this school, mapping helps parents avoid over-confident assumptions.

Pastoral support is described as a strength in the latest inspection, with staff knowing pupils well and helping them become confident and resilient. That matters most for families with children who need predictable adults, a steady approach to behaviour, and early intervention when worries show up as disengagement or low-level disruption.

Safeguarding systems are also described clearly, with effective arrangements, regular staff training, prompt reporting of concerns, and persistent work with external agencies when pupils need wider help. The school’s safeguarding policy also sets out a designated safeguarding lead structure with named roles, which is helpful for clarity and accountability in day-to-day practice.

Attendance and punctuality are treated as part of wellbeing rather than a box-ticking exercise. School information refers to breakfast provision and a weekly punctuality trophy for the most punctual class, which is a small but telling detail, because it signals that routines and readiness to learn are being reinforced positively rather than only through warnings and sanctions.

The extracurricular offer is unusually specific for a state primary website, which makes it easier for parents to picture what their child could actually do week to week.

Sport is structured by age, with after-school multi-sports slots mapped to year groups across the week, and a named karate provision on Fridays run by Rikai Karate and Kickboxing Club. There is also a before-school multi-sports schedule with sessions for Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. The implication is that sport is not only for the already-confident, because multiple entry points exist and pupils can try activity in smaller, age-relevant groups.

Leadership roles extend that “for everyone” approach. The inspection report notes pupil roles including Sports Crew and Green Influencers, which suggests pupils are trusted with responsibility, not only offered activities. Separate PE documentation expands on this, describing lunchtime activity leadership and Year 5 running a weekly lunchtime club for Year 1 and Year 2 pupils, which is a strong model for building confidence and empathy.

Arts and enrichment are present too. The inspection report references singing in the choir and playing musical instruments, plus a range of trips and visitors, including a Roman soldier visiting Year 4 to bring curriculum content to life. These details matter because they show enrichment is linked to learning rather than being an occasional reward.

For parents comparing local schools, FindMySchool’s Local Hub pages and comparison tools can be useful here. Results and rankings often look similar across a cluster of schools; the deciding factor is frequently whether your child will actually engage with the clubs, leadership roles and enrichment that give school its momentum.

School hours vary slightly by phase. Nursery morning sessions run 8:45 to 11:45. For Reception and Key Stage 1, the day is 9:00 to 15:20, and for Key Stage 2 it is 9:00 to 15:25.

Wraparound care is available via a before and after school club. Published timings are 7:30 to 8:45 before school and 3:20 to 6:00 after school, with families directed to contact the main office for further details, which suggests places, pricing and booking processes are handled directly rather than fully published online.

For travel, families should plan for typical urban drop-off pressures and consider walking or cycling where possible. School communications reference initiatives encouraging walking to school and an emphasis on safe, considerate parking expectations around the site.

• Oversubscription reality. Demand is high, with roughly 3.11 applications per offer in the latest available snapshot for the primary entry route. Families should plan on the basis that not every reasonable application will result in an offer.

• Handwriting and presentation are a stated improvement focus. The latest inspection identifies inconsistent expectations around letter formation and presentation. If your child struggles with fine motor control or is reluctant to write, ask how handwriting is now taught and reinforced.

• Teaching pace and attention to readiness can vary. Inspectors note that teachers do not always identify when pupils are ready to move on, which can affect concentration for some children. It is worth exploring how lessons are adapted for pupils who either grasp concepts quickly or need extra scaffolding.

• Nursery session pattern may not fit every working week. Nursery mornings are published as 15 hours per week. Families needing full-day childcare may need a blended plan using wraparound care or other provision.

Cherry Orchard Primary School, Birmingham combines a clearly articulated values culture with strong Key Stage 2 outcomes and a practical, structured approach to early reading. The autism resourced provision adds a meaningful inclusion pathway for some families, while the breadth of clubs and pupil leadership roles suggests a school that expects pupils to participate rather than spectate.

Best suited to families in Handsworth Wood and surrounding areas who want a state primary with above-average academic outcomes, a calm behaviour culture, and visible opportunities in sport, leadership and enrichment. The main challenge is admission, because demand is typically higher than the number of places available.