Orchard School opened in a fantastic new building in 2008 to serve our local communities of Horfield and Southmead. We are a mixed 11-16 academy, with 956 students, and our school community reflects the richly diverse local area. We pride ourselves on our harmonious atmosphere and the care we show for each young person. We are over-subscribed, so we operate a waiting list for entry to year groups.

Orchard is a seriously good school (please take a look at our latest Ofsted report) and we are on an exciting trajectory to become the exceptional provision our community deserves.

Our mission statement, “inspire today, empower for life” reflects how we approach our school life. We want students to be inspired by their learning, to be enthused to learn independently and find their areas of brilliance – so they can go on to study further towards their chosen career. We are ambitious for everyone – we expect the best from everyone and place no limits on our aspirations for our students.

What will you find here?

A calm, purposeful environment with excellent student behaviour

A bright, happy place in which to learn and work

Staff who know your child individually and really care about them

A broad curriculum, with opportunities to excel in academic subjects, in creative courses, performing arts and in sports

Strong communication with parents

Highly skilled and very well qualified teachers, many of whom are GCSE examiners

Enthusiastic students who are ambitious about their futures, and who are determined to achieve academic success

A warm and friendly staff body, research-informed, committed to professional development and exceptional teaching skills

A school which values partnership working to provide the best local, and global, experiences for our students

Our students feel that they belong to Orchard School – they appreciate that their tutors and their teachers know them well and will support them to meet the ambitious targets we set in their learning. They also understand that they have a voice and that they are actively involved in shaping the future of Orchard School, aided by staff who empower and enable them always to be heard.

We are proud of the academic results that our students have achieved, but we believe that the success we have as a school is much deeper than this. We offer an impressive number of personal development initiatives for our students underpinned by a strong enrichment offer with multiple opportunities for participation including educational visits, careers talks, student leadership, mentoring, public speaking, charity work, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, wellbeing, school performances, sports representation and many others, which are outlined in our student charter.

Headteacher | Ms Melanie Sweet

If you're searching for your next education job, please get in touch. You'll be working for a great employer and be part of a friendly, helpful team. We're always interested to hear from enthusiastic, committed education professionals - send us your CV now via our Talent Pool and detail what sort of role you're looking for. By joining our Talent Pool we'll know you're interested in working here when the right vacancy comes up.

There has been a secondary school on our site since September 1957 when Monks Park School first opened its doors to just 24 students and 12 staff. Monks Park was so named because much of the nearby area at one time belonged to the Monk family, who produced an Anglican bishop in the 18th century and whose grange was Manor Farm.

The original buildings faced Filton Road and as the intake of pupils increased, plans were made to extend the school and so the Northwick end of the site was built. This building was formally opened in 1961 by the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Bernard Whalley-Cohen. As the school grew it took over the buildings of Upper Horfield Girls School.

In the 1990s, school numbers in neighbouring schools were low, so Monks Park was asked to take students from Lockleaze School and Pen Park. The new Monks Park School was re-built under the government's Private Finance Initiative and opened in 2006.

Monks Park celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 2007. In 2009, the headteacher Dr Holman decided to re-name the school Orchard School, representing a fresh start to the school. The school became an academy in September 2012.

Amplify Education: A Bold New Voice for Bristol

Amplify Education is the result of the merger between two highly respected organisations—Trust in Learning Academies (TiLA) and Cathedral Schools Trust (CST). This new Trust will bring together the complementary strengths, expertise, and shared values of both organisations, forming a collaborative force committed to excellence, inclusion, and innovation in education.

About Amplify Education

Amplify Education is the largest Bristol-based multi-academy trust, serving approximately 12,000 pupils across 22 schools and covering diverse communities and geographies.

Amplify Education is deeply rooted in Bristol and is dedicated to serving its communities, with a focus on addressing educational challenges, promoting social mobility, and fostering unity and pride.

Amplify works closely with local partners, families, and schools to ensure every child has access to high-quality education, creative, musical, and academic opportunities, and a strong sense of belonging.

If you'd like to learn more, please click here.