Orley Farm School

What Orley Farm School does

Orley Farm School is an independent preparatory school located on a 39-acre campus in Harrow on the Hill, Greater London. Founded in 1850 as 'Hastings' and renamed after Anthony Trollope's 1862 novel, the school has had only 10 Headteachers in its 175-year history, currently led by Tim Calvey. It educates children from Reception (age 4) through Year 8 (age 13), admitting girls since 1994, and prepares pupils for selective secondary school entrance examinations at institutions such as Harrow School and Merchant Taylors. The school offers a unified educational programme built around a core academic curriculum supplemented by proprietary enrichment initiatives: the Edge Programme (life skills), QUEST (Year 6 transition), 10 Thinking Skills, Expedition Week, and OrleyX. Pastoral provision is supported by the PSHE programme and recognised with the SMHA Gold School Mental Health Award (2026-29).

The school's operational model is built on a recurring tuition-fee revenue stream, with ancillary income from after-school programmes (booked through the Evolve platform) and a gift shop. Admissions run through three pathways (4+ Reception Entry, 11+ Entry, In-Year Application), supported by 'School in Action Tours', prospectuses, and the Orley Farm Association (OFA) parent community and Orlumni alumni network. The underlying technology stack is composed of standard third-party platforms: iSAMS for information management, Firefly for parent and student portals, Tapestry for Early Years learning journals, Microsoft 365 for Middle and Upper School accounts, Evolve for activity booking, and School Cloud for events. No proprietary AI/ML capabilities or in-house technology products are evident.

Commercially, the school operates as a private, non-corporate institution with no parent company, no shareholders, and no disclosed board-of-governors structure beyond implied standard UK independent school governance. It is a member of IAPS and ISC, holds ISI 'Excellent' inspection status, and has invested over £11 million in facilities under the current Headmaster. Partnerships span local feeder schools (Alexandra, The Grange, Welldon Park, Shaftesbury High), community organisations (London Community Kitchen, Harrow Night Shelter), charitable initiatives (175 Acts of Giving), and educational associations. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Orley Farm School

Legal name

Orley Farm School

Website

https://orleyfarm.harrow.sch.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1850

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Orley Farm School is an independent UK preparatory school in Harrow on the Hill educating children aged 4-13 across Reception through Year 8, serving fee-paying London families seeking preparation for selective secondary school entry. The school operates a 39-acre campus with proprietary enrichment programmes and standard third-party school management technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Preparatory Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (61)

akta.pro primary industry

Inquiry/Project-Based Early Learning Academies (EDACADAF)

Keywords

• Independent preparatory school
• Primary school education
• Private school tuition
• Junior school program
• Preparatory day school

Headquarters

HQ city

Harrow on the Hill

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Primary revenue source from academic tuition. The school offers a 'Unique Fee Structure' and accepts bursary applications, indicating flexible pricing for families. As an independent preparatory school, tuition is the dominant revenue stream.
2. After School Programme: Revenue from after-school clubs, hobbies, and late-class provision booked through the Evolve platform.
3. Gift Shop: Retail revenue from merchandise sold through the school's SumUp store.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Orley Farm School is an independent co-educational preparatory day school founded in 1850 and located in Harrow on the Hill, North-West London. It delivers primary and pre-prep education for pupils from Reception (age 4+) through Year 8 on a single campus, combining a full academic curriculum with extracurricular activities, wraparound care, and on-site retail (school shop). The fundamental offering is fee-paying independent preparatory schooling delivered in person to day pupils.

Product overview

Orley Farm School is an independent preparatory school offering education from Reception through Year 8. The school's product portfolio consists of a unified educational program built around its core academic curriculum supplemented by distinctive programs including the Edge Programme (life skills development), QUEST Programme (Year 6 transition), Pre-Preparatory Department (ages 4-7), Co-Curriculum (clubs, expeditions), PSHE Programme (pastoral care), and technology-enhanced learning through platforms like iSAMS, Firefly, and Microsoft 365. The school operates as a single institution with multiple interconnected educational offerings rather than separate product lines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• ISI Inspection: 'Excellent' rating for educational quality and student development
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alexandra SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership school in local community. Students from Alexandra School attended Lion King Jr performances at Orley Farm. Orley students helped umpire netball tournaments and provided books to Alexandra School library. Wellbeing Ambassadors raised funds to provide books for Alexandra classrooms. Mrs Walsh working with Alexandra School on mural project.
• The Grange SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partnership school. Orley students helped umpire Year 3 and 4 Netball events. Grange School students attended Farmtastic Fair. Orley students swim alongside Year 2 and 3 Grange pupils in swimathon. Miss Hehir and Miss Godet volunteering to encourage Grange students in swimming. Easter Egg hunt organized for Year 3 Grange students.
• Welldon Park SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal community school whose students attended the 175th anniversary Farmtastic Fair at Orley Farm.
• London Community KitchencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarrow-based charity supported by Orley Farm community. Year 4 families volunteered helping around 130 families (500+ people). Mrs Khan gives 2 hours weekly to volunteer at the kitchen. Provides food support to families in need in Harrow community.
• Our World PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner schools initiative where children pitch ideas to improve their immediate community. £3,500 awarded for various projects including bug hotels, growing fruit, and improving toilet facilities.
• Nishkam SWATminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSikh Welfare and Awareness Team. Orley students Zane, Kyzen, Sureena, and Aaron helped out at Christmas Feed event for homeless community.
• Kujenga on the HillminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRobotics competition in Harrow area. Orley Farm hosts and participates. Former pupils return as volunteers and judges. Parents helped run and judge events. Lakhani family provided lunch for volunteers from Bombay Central restaurant.
• Shaftesbury High SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrley Farm School Council hosted Shaftesbury High students to collaborate and learn. Pupils shared playtimes and lunch with chickens as highlights.
• Woodrow High HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYear 4 residential trip venue. First residential trip for Year Four students to develop communication, teamwork, and resilience skills.
• Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI)coreOthersOfficial regulatory body that completes compliance and educational reviews of independent schools. Parents can access ISI reports for Orley Farm School through the provided link.
• Cancer Research UKminorOthersCharity supported through Race for Life events. Orley heroes and families raised over £2,200 for Cancer Research UK at Pretty Muddy 5K. Staff Secret Santa donation also supported this charity.
• British Heart FoundationminorOthersOne of Orley Farm's chefs, Rei, cycled from Clapham Common to Brighton raising money for British Heart Foundation.
• Colostomy UK and St Mark's HospitalminorOthersMaddox & Huxley ran children's races during Edinburgh Marathon Weekend to raise money and awareness for Colostomy UK and St Mark's Hospital (National Bowel Hospital).
• Children's Book ProjectminorOthersOFA book drive collected books for donation to Children's Book Project, redistributing books to those who will benefit from them.
• Books2AfricaminorOthersOrley Farm Science Department donated over 100 science textbooks to schools in Africa through Books2Africa programme.
• World of BooksminorOthersOrganization that receives books no longer suitable for Orley Farm library. They resell some items and donate books to schools, prisons, and communities in parts of Asia and Africa.
• HoverAidminorOthersCharity based in Madagascar that an Orley family supports. A hovercraft is used to provide resources in hard-to-reach places.
• Harrow Night ShelterminorOthersOrley Farm staff volunteer to serve food at the Harrow Night Shelter for homeless individuals, providing three courses of home-cooked food.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Westminster Under School: Boys' preparatory school in central London (ages 7-13) feeding Westminster School. Comparable as an elite London day prep with strong academic outcomes, premium fees, and a 7+ / 11+ entry pathway very similar to Orley Farm's model.
• Colet Court (St Paul's Juniors): Junior school of St Paul's School in Barnes, London (ages 7-13). A leading London day prep feeding one of the country's top secondaries, with similar curriculum differentiation, premium fees, and outcome-led value proposition.
• Eaton House Schools: Group of independent London day schools (including Eaton House Belgravia, Eaton Square, and The Manor) covering pre-prep through senior. Comparable as premium-fee London preps with strong 11+ outcomes and multi-site brand presence.
• Wetherby Preparatory School: Co-educational London day prep in Marylebone (ages 4-13) within the Alpha Plus Group. Highly comparable as a fee-charging central London prep with Reception through Year 8 offering, broad co-curricular programme, and 11+ preparation.
• Sussex House School: Boys' prep school in Chelsea (ages 8-13) preparing boys for senior school scholarships and common entrance. Directly comparable premium London prep, sharing the same fee band, parent cohort, and 11+ preparation focus as Orley Farm.
• Bute House Preparatory School: Co-educational prep school in Brook Green, West London (ages 4-11). Comparable as a small, premium London day prep with strong academic outcomes, family-led reputation, and a Reception-through-prep structure similar to Orley Farm's Pre-Prep to Upper School pathway.
• The Mall School: Co-educational prep school in Twickenham (ages 4-13) feeding leading South-West London secondaries. Directly comparable as a fee-paying day prep with similar enrichment breadth, parent community focus, and outcome-led positioning.
• King's College School, Wimbledon (Prep): Co-educational London prep school in Wimbledon serving ages 7-18 within a wider school. Comparable as a high-achieving, premium-fee South-West London day school with strong 11+ outcomes and broad enrichment, serving a similar parent demographic.
• Rokeby School: Co-educational independent prep school in Kingston upon Thames (ages 4-13). Comparable as a London-area co-ed day prep with 11+ preparation, premium fees, and a curriculum emphasising pastoral care and broader skills alongside academics.
• Dulwich Prep London: Independent co-ed prep school in Dulwich (ages 4-13) feeding Dulwich College and other top secondaries. Comparable fee band, curriculum breadth, and parent cohort as Orley Farm, with strong pastoral and co-curricular programmes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OrleyFarmSchool
• Facebookfacebook.com/orleyfarmschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/orley-farm-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/orleyfarmschool

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Orley Farm School