Awards

Anti Bullying Award

We are proud holders of the Gold Anti-Bullying award, awarded by the Anti-Bullying Alliance. The Anti-Bullying Alliance was established by the NSPCC and the National Children's Bureau in 2002 and aims to raise the profile of bullying and the effect it has on the lives of children and young people; to create a climate in which everyone agrees that bullying is unacceptable; to make sure that staff, parents, carers, children and young people have the skills and knowledge to address bullying effectively.
We have worked extremely hard in he last 12 months to regain our Gold status. The Anti Bullying Alliance changed the criteria within the last 2 years, awarding the top award to just 2% of schools nationally. We are so pleased that we once again hold Gold demonstrating that anti-bullying at the heart of what we do.

 SMSC Gold Award

 

We are very proud of our SMSC Gold Award. This Award looks at the Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education that we have within Orchard and how this is enacted in the school day to day. We achieved the Gold Award in 2023 and the assessor was very impressed with our school, saying:

 

The school offers so many opportunities for all, underpinned with values and strong pupil’s voice. Parents commented that the school has the pupils' interest at heart, where pupils are given the confidence to thrive, grow, be ambitious and meet their potential, ultimately to make them stronger. SMSC has a high status in the school with numerous displays reflecting this around the school, with responsibility being a key message.

Orchard School Bristol is a positive, calm, ambitious and purposeful environment which celebrates all the different cultures in the school making it inclusive to all in a very supportive way. This is a true multicultural school.

Chartered College Research Mark Plus

The Chartered College of Teaching’s Research Mark celebrates embedded engagement with research and evidence-informed approaches to teaching and learning. The Research Mark acts as a developmental process, allowing organisations to review current practice before extending and reshaping their engagement with research at all levels of their organisation, from leadership to classroom practice and within their wider community.

We are delighted that Orchard has been awarded this Research Mark at the higher ‘Plus’ level. We have been recognised for implementing a “research-rich culture” which underpins leadership at all levels and is disseminated across the staff body. This informs our school’s vision, CPD provision, leadership decisions and classroom practice. Orchard has also been acknowledged for our staff’s engagement in, and with, research for developing expertise in evidence-informed practice, alongside our leadership of the Bristol Network of the Chartered College of Teaching.

 Young Carers Award

 The Young Carers in Schools programme helps primary and secondary schools improve outcomes for young carers and celebrates good practice through the Young Carers in Schools Award.

To achieve our Bronze Award Orchard has demonstrated that we support young carers in many ways, including homework clubs and drop-in sessions with a member of staff who is responsible for this vulnerable group of students.  Vital information about how to identify young carers is made available to all school staff, and noticeboards and the school website let students and their families know where to go for help. We are working towards the Silver award this year.

Nourish the Workplace 

 Nourish the Workplace provides schools with the tools to identify what is working well with staff wellbeing provisions and where improvements can be made. Starting with an anonymous staff survey covering all aspects of wellbeing, workload and happiness, it gives staff a voice. There is then the opportunity to celebrate prioritising staff wellbeing by working towards the Nourish the Workplace staff wellbeing award. This is a great way to show the school’s community that they are embedding wellbeing into the culture of the school.

 

School of Sanctuary 

In 2023 we were delighted to be awarded School of Sanctuary status. We are committed to becoming a School of Sanctuary, one which is a safe and welcoming place for those seeking sanctuary. This might include families whose lives have been in danger in their own country, where there is war or conflict at home, or who need a place of safety as refugees or asylum seekers. A School of Sanctuary is one which supports students, staff and the school community to understand what it means to be seeking sanctuary and to extend a welcome to everyone as equal, valued members of the school community. It is a school that is proud to be inclusive for all.

 

Charted College of Teaching - Institutional Membership

We are pleased to have been recognised with Institutional Membership of the Chartered College of Teaching. This an important symbol of our work to empower a knowledgeable and respected teaching profession through ensuring membership and accreditation of our teaching staff, commitment to CPD and engagement with evidence-informed practice.