Orchard Learning Alliance

UID 16549·Companies House 09620043·Incorporated June 2015·Compare

Schools

Flags

8 high severity

Finance: 2025/26Ofsted: May 2025Performance: 2025/26Workforce: 2025/26Attendance: 2025/26

Total income

£28.5m

4,605 pupils

Avg staff costs

79.9%

of income

Avg reserves

7.6%

of income

Avg absence

5.3%

Persistent: 13.3%

More metrics

Avg FSM

13.1%

free school meals

Capacity

97%

4,605 / 4,741 places

Total admin cost

£0

6 of 9 schools have staff costs above the DfE's 78% review threshold — review against school context.

4 of 10 schools have reserves below the DfE's 5% minimum.

4 of 10 schools had expenditure exceeding income this year.

Overall absence is above the national average in 11% of schools (1 of 9).

1 school has persistent absence above 20%.

All inspected schools are rated Good or Outstanding across sub-judgements.

Reference points from DfE published guidance. Whether any metric warrants action depends on the trust's context and strategy.

At a glance

8 schools with staff costs above 78%5 schools with workforce pressure5 schools in deficit1 school with absence above 8%

Ofsted sub-judgements

Quality of education

100% Good+

Good 4

Behaviour & attitudes

100% Good+

Outst. 1Good 3

Personal development

100% Good+

Outst. 1Good 3

Leadership & management

100% Good+

Good 10

Performance (trust avg)

Key Stage 4

Attainment 8

50.8

+4.6

vs national

Key Stage 2

Expected standard (RWM)

73.6%

+12.6pp

vs national

National averages: 2023/24

Trust details

AddressWaingels College C/O Waingels College, Waingels Road, Reading, RG5 4RF

Companies House09620043

Incorporated2 June 2015

Trust growth over time

matpulse.co.uk

Schools Pupils

Year	Schools	Pupils	Total income	Total expenditure	Avg staff costs %	Avg reserves %
2021/22	2	1,814	£10.0m	£10.3m	79.4%	17.8%
2022/23	2	1,820	£11.4m	£11.4m	78.4%	11.7%
2023/24	4	2,930	£17.2m	£16.9m	78.7%	11.2%
2024/25partial	9	4,559	£11.2m	£11.5m	81.0%	4.7%

Central services — 2023/24

Centralisation

0.0%

of total trust spend

Typical MAT centralisation ranges from 3-7% of total trust spend. Figures below 2% may indicate limited central coordination; above 10% warrants review of value for money.

CS expenditure

£0

CS staff costs

£0

CS income

£0

Admin & clerical£0

Teaching staff£0

ICT£0

Premises£0

Legal & professional£0

Auditor costs£0

Governance

Accounts to Aug 2025Source: Companies House

9 current directors · Average tenure: 6.0 years · 2 changes in last 12 months

Directors / Trustees (9)

Sally Ann Akers

director·1 year

Lee Arthur Morgan

director·3 years

David Christopher Williams

director·3 years

Donald Macdonald

director·3 years

Mcfoster Tembo

director·3 years

Nayana Bharti

director·7 years

Gareth Morgan Hayes

director·8 years

Caroline Norris

director·10 years

Michael Marsden

director·10 years

10 former officers — most recent departure: Mar 2026

Katherine Sanganee

director·3 years·Resigned Mar 2026

Rebecca Stewardson

director·3 years·Resigned Oct 2025

Dawn Margaret Smith

director·3 years·Resigned Oct 2023

Maria Dr Kambouri

director·3 years·Resigned Sept 2023

Elizabeth Anne Rowland

director·3 years·Resigned Feb 2025

Stephen Thomas Bartlett

Member schools (10)

10 schools|8 with risk flags|7 high severity

School	URN	Phase	Risk flags
Churchend Primary Academy	136457	Primary	—
Hawkedon Primary School	149956	Primary	high staff costsworkforce pressure
Highwood Primary School	149998	Primary	high staff costsin year deficitworkforce pressure
Hillside Primary School	149957	Primary	workforce pressurehigh staff costsin year deficit
Lambs Lane Primary School	149951	Primary	high staff costsin year deficit
Radstock Primary School	149955	Primary	workforce pressurehigh staff costs
South Lake Primary School	150004	Primary	high staff costsin year deficit
Waingels	142166	Secondary	high absencehigh staff costsworkforce pressure
Willow Bank Infant School	149953	Primary	—
Willow Bank Junior School	149954	Primary	high staff costsin year deficit