Orchards Infant School Review 2026: SPARKLE values, wraparound care, and specialist speech and language support

This is an infant school, so the results that dominate most parent conversations, Key Stage 2 outcomes, sit with the linked junior phase rather than here. provided, there are no published Key Stage 2 or ranking metrics to report for this setting, so the most useful academic lens is curriculum substance and how learning is organised day to day.

On that front, the Reception outline is clear about routine building blocks: daily phonics, whole-class inputs to teach specific skills, and small-group English and mathematics activities across the week. The school also references following Read Write Inc for phonics, which signals a systematic approach to early reading and consistent routines for children across groups.

From a parent perspective, the implication is straightforward. If your child is likely to thrive with predictable routines and repeated practice, the curriculum structure described should feel reassuring. If your child needs more time to settle, it is worth asking how groups are organised, how quickly the pace moves after the first half term, and what extra practice looks like for pupils who need it.

In the early years, quality is often about sequencing and clarity rather than subject breadth. The Reception description points to a model where children move between adult-led teaching and child-initiated play, with learning guided through planned experiences and targeted small-group tasks.

For reading, the daily phonics commitment matters. At infant stage, reading progress is built from many small, cumulative wins, correct sound formation, blending, decoding, and frequent practice with books that match a child’s stage. A consistent scheme can reduce friction for families supporting reading at home, because the language and routines are familiar.

For pupils with speech and language needs, the Special Support Centre approach is unusually specific. Reception pupils in the centre still spend most of the day in their Reception class, with additional individual or small-group work with a Speech and Language Therapist and targeted sessions with the Teacher in Charge. In Years 1 and 2, pupils may have core lessons in a smaller setting with higher adult support and then join mainstream lessons when ready. The practical implication is that support is not only about withdrawing pupils, it is also about planned reintegration, which is often what parents want if the goal is confidence and independence over time.

As an infant school, the main transition question is Year 3. The school sits on the same site as Orchards Junior School, and both are shown as part of the same trust on the Ofsted service, which typically supports continuity for families who want an all-primary pathway across two phases.

For parents, the best question to ask is about how handover is managed. Look for practical details such as shared events, transition visits, and how information about learning needs or speech and language targets is carried forward, especially for pupils in the Special Support Centre.

Demand is a real feature here. provided for the Reception entry route, there were 164 applications for 62 offers, with the school marked oversubscribed and 2.65 applications per place applications per offer. That points to a competitive local picture, where timing and clarity on criteria matter.

The school states that, as an academy in Sparkle Multi-Academy Trust, it is its own admissions authority, while Reception transfer for 2026 is coordinated through West Sussex County Council. It also publishes a Pupil Admission Number of 90 per year group, with a note that this will be reviewed annually.

For the September 2026 intake, West Sussex sets a clear application window for primary, infant and junior places. Applications opened on Monday 6 October 2025, and the closing date was Thursday 15 January 2026, with late applications processed from 12 February 2026.

Nursery admissions are referenced separately on the school site, and the school has flagged that a new nursery room for two year olds was due to open in January 2026. If you are considering nursery, use a visit to understand how places are offered, how children move into Reception, and what a typical settling-in plan looks like.

Families considering the Special Support Centre should note the route is not a standard school admissions decision. The school states that children must have an Education, Health and Care Plan and that places are allocated by the West Sussex SEN Assessment Team, not by the school.

A practical tip for shortlisting: FindMySchool’s Map Search is useful here, not because distance is the only factor, but because oversubscription often turns on small geographic differences. Use it to sanity-check travel time and routes before you rely on a place.

At infant stage, wellbeing is often most visible through safety, routines, and relationships, rather than formal programmes. The predecessor school’s last published inspection described pupils as feeling safe and highlighted a culture of kindness and clear values, with parents reporting that bullying was rare and dealt with quickly.

Safeguarding in that inspection was reported as effective, with leaders described as alert to safeguarding needs and systems for logging concerns set out as consistent, with some minor record-keeping issues addressed promptly.

For pupils who need additional communication support, the Special Support Centre description is the strongest wellbeing signal because it is explicit about nurturing confidence and giving children a voice through specialist teaching and therapy integrated into the week.

Enrichment at infant stage should feel joyful and achievable, with a strong emphasis on participation rather than selection. The school positions its extra-curricular offer as a mix of sports and games, craft, and gardening-style activities, designed to build confidence and friendships beyond class groups.

Sport is a stated pillar. The school describes being part of the West Sussex Sports Association, aiming to take part in festivals and competitions across the year, and signposts a set of Key Stage 1 sporting event themes, including rugby festival, boccia, benchball, gymnastics, indoor athletics, and football. For parents, the implication is that activity is not limited to the naturally sporty child. Events like boccia and benchball often provide more accessible entry points for pupils building coordination and confidence.

The Special Support Centre adds another layer to “beyond the classroom” because it explicitly states that children and their parents have access to the full range of social and extra-curricular activities and facilities offered by the school. For families weighing specialist support, that detail matters: it points to inclusion as a default expectation, not an optional extra.

This is a state school with no tuition fees.

The school day starts at 8:45am when gates open, and the school day ends at 2:30pm. Wraparound care is published: breakfast club runs 7:30am to 8:45am at £3.50 per day, and an after-school option is listed as 2:30pm to 4:00pm at £5.00, alongside a 4 o’clock club for Reception to Year 2.

For families planning travel, the most useful next step is to visit at drop-off and pick-up times to judge walking routes, traffic pinch points, and whether wraparound timings align with work patterns.

• A short school day without wraparound. The published finish time is 2:30pm. If you need care beyond 4:00pm, you will want to clarify what is available beyond the listed options, and how quickly places fill.

• Oversubscription pressure. Demand data suggests more than two and a half applications per offer in the most recent cycle recorded, so admission is likely to be the main hurdle for many families.

• Inspection context is in transition. The current academy’s Ofsted page shows no report yet, while the predecessor school’s latest published inspection was Requires improvement. Ask what has changed since academy conversion, and what leaders are prioritising now.

• Special Support Centre access is an EHCP route. The Dolphin Class provision is not applied for like a typical place; it requires an Education, Health and Care Plan and allocation through the local authority team. That can be an excellent fit, but timelines and evidence requirements are different.

This is a practical, values-led infant school with clear early years routines, published wraparound provision, and a standout offer for speech and language needs through the Dolphin Class Special Support Centre. It will suit families who want a structured start to reading and number, and who value a consistent behaviour and learning vocabulary they can use at home as well as in school. The limiting factor is likely to be securing a place, so families should treat admissions timelines and criteria as seriously as the educational offer.