The Orchard School is a council-run special school in Oldbury, Sandwell, for children and young people aged 2 to 11.
- Ages 2–11
- 173 pupils
School details
- Type
- Council special school
- Ages
- 2 to 11
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Pupils
- 173
- Headteacher
- Mrs Elizabeth Hopewell (Headteacher)
- Opened
- 1 September 2000
- Free school meals
- 53.2% of pupils eligible
- Council
- Sandwell
- School reference (URN)
- 132232
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places at schools like this usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask questions
See whether the school feels right and whether it can meet your child’s needs. Our list of questions below can help.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Sandwell council) that this is the school you want, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Free home-to-school transport is often part of the arrangement.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Graded by area, July 2025
Inspected in July 2025. Inspections from September 2024 to November 2025 graded each area but gave no overall grade.
- Quality of educationGood
- Behaviour and attitudesGood
- Personal developmentGood
- Leadership and managementGood
- Early yearsGood
- SafeguardingEffective
Contact and getting there
Causeway Green Road, Oldbury, B68 8LD
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
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The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- The Primrose Centre Alternative provision · Ages 5–11 · Ofsted: Good 0.8 miles
- Bristnall Hall Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 · Ofsted: Outstanding 0.8 miles
- Christ Church Church of England Primary School Mainstream + base · Ages 3–11 1.2 miles
By need in Sandwell: Autism (11) · SEMH (5) · Moderate learning (4) · Hearing (4) · Physical (4) · Speech and language (3) · Severe learning (3) · PMLD (2) · Dyslexia and SpLD (2) · Vision (2) · Multi-sensory (2)
Questions about The Orchard School
How do I get a place at The Orchard School?
There’s no catchment area or application round. Places usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult The Orchard School. If it is named in the plan, the school must admit your child.
What ages does The Orchard School take?
Aged 2 to 11, boys and girls.
What is The Orchard School’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Requires improvement by Ofsted in July 2025 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is The Orchard School?
Causeway Green Road, Oldbury, B68 8LD, in Sandwell.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.