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‘Every child is different, and one of our key priorities is unearthing the individual strengths, skills, interests and needs of each person in our care’

A welcome from the Headmistress

First and foremost, welcome to the Orchard website and thank you for taking the time to visit us digitally. The founding of Orchard School and Nursery in 1991 was based on the observations I had of very young children and their 100% enthusiasm for life. From the outset, Orchard has been designed to nurture that eagerness which exists within all children, keep their ‘why’ questions coming and encourage the ‘how’ - no matter how challenging they are to answer on occasion. Witnessing their irrefutable belief that ‘I can do it’ in the face of many fruitless attempts is humbling to behold, and helping to cultivate that attitude and influence children in taking a fresh look at a problem, encouraging them not to give up and sharing the delight as they relish the emotional rush of success is what makes being part of Orchard as special today and it was all those years ago.

The observations we make enable us to know our children well and we use this information to guide us in the planning for each child’s personalised learning. Every child is different, and one of our key priorities is unearthing the individual strengths, skills, interests and needs of each pupil in our care. We can then ensure an appropriate route is developed to help them thrive as they embark upon the challenging learning journey that leads to adulthood. This process starts at the earliest opportunity, with our nursery classes forming the bedrock on which we build and where we take those first steps to identify  special personal characteristics as each learning journey begins.

Our community is strong in its desire to consider the feelings of others and the consequences our behaviour can have. We value friendship, we are welcoming and understand what will make each other smile. Parents are our partners in this process and help us to create an environment that is inspiring, whilst also being bold in its educational ambitions.

I hope this website gives you a flavour of life at Orchard, but nothing can compare to seeing us in action. Please take an opportunity to come and visit us where you will see the vibrant, energetic and inspiring environment come to life and you can be assured of a warm welcome from all of us.

Anne Burton - Headmistress/Proprietor

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