CEO Welcome September 2025

Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you and your families enjoyed a restful summer.  It was lovely to see pupils starting back this week, looking smart and eager to learn. As we begin the new school year, I want to share some of the exciting developments across Orion Education and thank you for your continued support.

Over the summer months, our site teams have been incredibly busy. Three brand new nurseries have been built at Orion Blenheim, Orion Scotts Park and Orion Ravensworth. These spaces will give our youngest children the very best start in their learning journey. In addition, every one of our schools has seen site improvements — helping to make our classrooms and playgrounds brighter, safer and more inspiring places to learn.  You can see more of these improvements here.  As part of our commitment to all-through education we will be opening consultations on admissions to ensure that those families who attend our nurseries have guaranteed places in our primary schools. Similarly, we will consult on our secondary admissions policies to ensure that those parents that attend our primary schools, will also have guaranteed place at one of secondary schools. This is still very much in draft, but we want to build relationships with families that last right the way through school.  

We have also invested more than £600,000 in new computers across the Trust. This means your children will benefit from the latest technology, supporting their learning both now and in the years ahead. The infrastructure has suffered from underinvestment across our schools and we are gradually addressing this deficit.  

This September, we begin the term on a positive note. Our secondary schools have achieved some excellent results this summer, with improvements at A Level and strong outcomes in Applied A levels and GCSE. These successes reflect the hard work of pupils, teachers and families working together.

Looking ahead, our priorities for the year build on this strong foundation. We will be placing more emphasis on enrichment — making sure every child has the chance to experience activities beyond the classroom that broaden horizons, spark new interests and build confidence. National research shows that pupils who regularly take part in enrichment activities such as sport, music, drama or volunteering not only achieve better exam results, but also attend more consistently, develop resilience and report higher levels of wellbeing. To reflect the importance of this, we will improve the way we report to parents by April, so you will see more information about your child’s participation and engagement in enrichment across the year.

We are also launching a new Inclusion Strategy, designed to strengthen adaptive teaching in every classroom. This will ensure all pupils, whatever their starting points or needs, are supported and stretched to achieve their very best.

Another important step we have taken is making all our schools mobile phone free. The evidence for this change is strong: schools that have removed mobile phones see improvements in concentration, behaviour and wellbeing. Research also shows a clear link to better academic progress, especially for younger pupils and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. By taking away the distraction of phones during the school day, we are creating calmer classrooms, more focused learning and more positive social interactions between pupils. I am sure that like us you are increasingly concerned about maintaining good levels of concentration and communication for generations coming through. Your support in this is crucial. In fact, many of our parents have been taking the lead. 

With these priorities, alongside new facilities, fresh investment and the dedication of our staff, Orion Education is in a fantastic position to ensure every child continues to thrive.

Thank you for entrusting us with your children’s education. I look forward to seeing all that they achieve this year.

Your sincerely 

 Simon Garrill
Chief Executive
Orion Education