Headteacher's Welcome

As the Headteacher of Orleans Park, I am deeply honoured to lead such a vibrant, ambitious and caring school community. Our students, known for their kindness, hard work and articulate nature, are at the heart of Orleans Park, and their pride in being part of our community is something that inspires us every day.

Orleans Park is a thriving, oversubscribed 11–18 mixed comprehensive school serving the Twickenham area, with over 1,350 students. Our dedicated staff are committed to ensuring that every young person is known, valued and able to succeed, leaving Orleans Park not only with excellent qualifications, but as confident, responsible and compassionate individuals ready to make their mark on the world.

Our school is a joyful and dynamic place to learn, where high expectations sit alongside strong relationships, excellent pastoral care and a genuine commitment to inclusion. Our core values, Responsibility, Resilience and Respect, are at the forefront of everything we do, guiding our students in their learning, their relationships and their contribution to the wider community.

When students join Orleans Park, they become part of a high-achieving, forward-thinking and caring community. Our tradition of academic rigour, combined with a strong emphasis on creativity and personal development, defines our ethos. We believe that excellence and inclusion are not competing priorities: the very best schools achieve both.

This is particularly important as education enters a significant period of change. The Government's SEND reforms and the direction set out through the Schools White Paper place an increasing emphasis on inclusive mainstream education, earlier identification of need and ensuring that children and young people receive the right support at the right time. At Orleans Park, these principles are central to our approach. We recognise that every student is different and that vulnerability and need can change over time. Our ambition is to remove barriers to learning while maintaining high expectations, helping students to develop the confidence, independence and resilience they need for their futures.

As an Attachment Aware School, we also understand the fundamental importance of relationships, belonging and emotional safety in enabling young people to learn and thrive. Our staff recognise that behaviour is a form of communication and that understanding a young person's experiences can help us provide the right support, while retaining clear boundaries and high expectations. This relational approach underpins our work across teaching, pastoral care, SEND, behaviour and safeguarding.

Our Sixth Form is an equally important part of the Orleans Park community. Through high-quality teaching, directed study and wider opportunities for leadership and personal development, we prepare our young people not only for examinations but for university, employment and the opportunities and challenges that lie beyond school. Our commitment to wellbeing, aspiration and excellence continues throughout every stage of a student's journey with us.

Beyond the classroom, Orleans Park offers a rich programme of extracurricular and enrichment opportunities. We want every student to discover interests and talents, develop friendships and feel a genuine sense of belonging to our community. Our relationships with families, governors, staff, students and local partners are a cornerstone of our success, and we are proud of our place at the heart of the local community.

We want our students to be proud ambassadors for Orleans Park: young people who are ambitious for themselves, respectful of others and confident in contributing positively to the world around them.

Orleans Park is a school with high expectations and a strong moral purpose; ambitious for every student, inclusive in our practice and committed to ensuring that every young person has the opportunity to thrive.

Heads PA: acoleshill@orleanspark.school