The Orchard School

615 West 64th Street

Indianapolis, IN 46260

25 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on May 03, 2023

Until the new Head of School took over this was an amazing school and it would have received unlimited stars from our family. Since taking over a few years ago the school is on a steady decline and if it weren't for the fact my child was so close to graduation we would have left. The environment is no longer welcoming, the teachers have gotten lazy, the quality of everything right down to the meal service has gotten worse with each year. So sad to see such an amazing, long standing school be destroyed by the new administration.
Submitted by parent on October 12, 2022

I have one graduate and one current student, and I cannot say enough great things about how Orchard has aided their education, social & emotional development. My Orchard grad is a freshman in college on a pre-med track, and Orchard was the foundation of her lifelong love of learning.
Submitted by other on October 10, 2019

Wonderful! Highly recommend! My experience as an alum translated into my academic success in high school, college and grad school. It was truly a red carpet educational experience. Orchard was the best choice for me from age 4 until I graduated in the 8th grade. I am so grateful to have benefited from this wonderful school.
Submitted by parent on October 10, 2019

It has been excellent. I have two graduates who are excelling in high school and one child still at Orchard. It was worth every penny!
Submitted by parent on August 01, 2019

Up until the new Headmaster, I’d give this school the highest rating possible. Now, I feel crushed that we are considering leaving like so many others have last year.
Submitted by parent on December 04, 2018

The Orchard School is a very special place led by an extraordinary group of teachers, faculty, staff and parent community who all understand and embody the importance of child-centered academic excellence in everything they do. We feel grateful to be a part of such a warm and loving place for our children to learn and thrive and become confident, kind, global-minded citizens. We love it and encourage anyone who has high expectations for their children's education to take a tour.
Submitted by parent on August 08, 2018

Overall good. The pluses are having a fantastic facility/campus where kids are frequently outdoors, generally dedicated and high quality teachers, and a very safe, sheltered environment. The negatives are the very high cost of tuition (almost $20K) that goes up every year at a rate higher than inflation, and weak leadership. The board seemed entranced by the progressive bona fides of the last head of school, and he turned out to be a poor administrator and fundraiser. The new head of school is just starting, although based on her educational philosophy she is on the extreme left in terms of politics and buys into the intersectional brand of identity politics, which is a huge turnoff. It seems a fair number of families have decided to leave in the last couple of years, which primarily appears to be a combination of the high cost and dissatisfaction with the leadership of the school.So overall the academic/environment experience has been good and would be hard to replicate elsewhere - but it comes at a very steep price, and the political agenda of the leadership is definitely not mainstream, which is a concern going forward.Also, I don't think the racial/ethnic breakdown on this site is correct. The school is probably 75% white, not the 99% shown here.
Submitted by parent on May 18, 2018

I am the proud parent of an Orchard alum - now a freshman in hs - and a soon to be middle schooler. We are in our 9th year at the school, and we are extremely happy with our experiences with Orchard. Our two kids are very different learners, very different personalities but we have been impressed that the educators there have found ways to work with both of them, figuring out what makes them tick and how to motivate them, and encouraging them to explore their potential. They have learned (and are still learning) to be thoughtful communicators, both verbally and in writing. They have gained necessary knowledge and skills to express complex ideas and advocate for themselves. They have learned a lot about who they are, their part in the broader world, and their responsibility to take care of it, as well as others. They are not afraid to fail (though neither likes not being right to be sure!!!) because they have been able to come back stronger when something didn't go their way, or work out they way they planned. I have witnessed they become more resilient.When it comes to academics, both of my kids have been given the chance to stretch, and have been able to go deep in subjects like math and social studies where they have strong ability.
Submitted by parent on April 20, 2018

The Orchard School is a very special place led by an extraordinary group of teachers, faculty, staff and parent community who all understand and embody the importance of child-centered academic excellence in everything they do. We feel grateful to be a part of such a warm and loving place for our children to learn and thrive and become confident, kind, global-minded citizens. We love it and encourage anyone who has high expectations for their children's education to take a tour.
Submitted by parent on April 17, 2018

All three of our children attended The Orchard School. We are very pleased with the education they received and so are they. I've often tried to sift through all our years and determine what they most learned/received at Orchard and if I had to pick one attribute (and there are many), I'd pick confidence. They are all confident public speakers. For example, when my daughter was a junior in high school, she won an award that required her to speak at a dinner with over 400 people present. I tried several times to get her to practice and review her speech in advance, knowing that the previous recipient had a professional speech writer. In frustration, one evening she said, "Mom, I went to Orchard. Don't worry." She delivered a flawless speech without notes.They are all confident about their ability to learn. Orchard likes to say they help create life long learners and they do. Each of our children knows how to learn and they like to learn.They are all confident expressing themselves to anyone. In high school, their teachers observed that unlike many shy teens they were not afraid to ask questions and advocate for themselves or for others. And, this has continued throughout their college and post-graduate years. Orchard invites and teaches children how to respectfully approach adults.At Orchard education is not just about science, English, history, etc. While these are important, it's also about helping develop good people and preparing them for the future.
Submitted by parent on March 19, 2018

As a family we are extremely happy that we chose the Orchard School. The school focuses on the child and engenders a love of learning. Our child is being well prepared for the future and loves going to school!
Submitted by parent on January 18, 2018

Excellent. 3 children and our experience has been consistently top notch. Great teachers and families too.
Submitted by parent on October 25, 2017

I'm amazed at the difference I've seen in my daughter's desire to learn and how eager she is to tell me about school. Teachers make learning fun and engaging with a child-centered approach. The school's campus is fantastic - large woods, trails, outdoor classrooms, rope courses, green houses - so many opportunities to learn and be outdoors.
Submitted by other on July 25, 2017

I graduated from orchard about two decades ago, but I have this school to thank for turning me into the person that I am now. Yes, Orchard taught me how to be a good writer (the most important academic skill one can learn) and how to succeed as a mathematician and scientist. Yes, Orchard showed me what it means to be a good person and to care about others. But most importantly, Orchard taught me how to be a deep thinker and how to be a lifelong learner. My Orchard peers and I excel in high school, college, and our careers because we work as leaders on teams, analyze and address problems, and aren't afraid to speak up when we need to. Orchard is an incredible environment to grow up in. I am lucky to have been a part of the Orchard community.
Submitted by parent on April 13, 2017

Great environment and wonderful teachers! Children are taught in a manner that engages them and develops a lifelong love of learning.
Submitted by other on March 15, 2017

Orchard is a place where you will find grandparents engaged in active play with their grandchildren on the playground. Orchard is a place where you will observe teachers taking the time to model appropriate, respectful negotiation skills (and to reflect the students' feelings that are behind the students' behaviors with understanding and compassion- even when the behaviors need modification). Orchard is a place where the administration and faculty interact respectfully with students. Orchard is a place where administration and faculty interact respectfully with each other. Orchard is a place where students interact respectfully with each other. This respectful interaction, combined with the natural curiosity of young minds, allows Orchard to be a safe place and encourages active learning for anyone- and for everyone who enters its doors. Those who invest their time with Orchard learn how to more fully, and more civilly, engage in the work of inclusive solutions for many of the problems in today's diverse communities.
Submitted by parent on November 22, 2016

We have be at Orchard for many years and have nothing but great classroom experiences. The teachers know my child and this creates a safe and meaningful place for true learning to occur. Because of the way the teachers know my child she is never afraid to try new things as that is just part of the expectation at The Orchard School. The focus on children speaking in front of their peers from preschool through eighth grade.
Submitted by other on December 08, 2015

This school is very close minded. They denied my daughter but would not give a reason why. I could not even get a written response. I got a phone call and an email asking to call them. They would never come out and say why my child could not attend their school. My child was anxious and took time to warm up but the the testing was fine. I would also like to mention that their testing is not done by a doctor or school psychologist it is done by a teacher with a degree in ballet. A teacher that has no business judging children than refusing to give that judgement. I even tried to contact the headmaster to ask for the reason my child was denied but still no reply.
Submitted by parent on May 12, 2015

My son and daughter got suspended for saying why they don't like Orchard. They suspended my kids for free speech, this is not very fair, is it? Do not under any circumstances enroll your children at Orchard.
Submitted by other on February 04, 2014

This school is amazing. Yes it is a bit of a hand full of money, but it is 100 percent worth it. This school is unlike any other. They offer a hands on learning program that gets the students to enjoy school and fully prepares them for high school. Each grade has a large highlight for the year. 5th-8th grade take an out of state field trip. 2nd grade makes maple syrup and many others I can not list due to character limits. This school has an amazing athletic and academic program and is one of the best in the state. Yes this school might now be best for all students, but for many it is amazing. The teachers only see the best interest in preparing the students for the future. The two main things that Orchard is remembered for is the basket ball program and the performing arts program, but all the other programs are just as amazing. The basketball program is the state champion for the last couple years and the performing arts has some of the best musicians in the state. Each student is required to play an instrument and do choir once reaching the 5th grade. This school has two big alumni that I would like to tell you about. The owners of Traders Point Creamery. Thank you. - a student