Private School Review - Established 2003

The Orchard School

5.00 (1 review)
615 W 64th St Indianapolis, IN 46260
Tel: (317) 713-5713
www.orchard.org

Quick Facts (2026)

  • Top Ranked IN School
  • School Type: Alternative School
  • Grades: Prekindergarten-8
  • Enrollment: 375 students
  • Yearly Tuition: $19,931
  • Average class size: 18 students
  • Application Deadline: Jan. 25 / rolling
  • Source: ✓Verified school update
The Orchard School Photo #1 - Orchard students experience their education through hands-on learning. Here, quail chicks are introduced to third graders in science class. The students are there to observe the hatching, and then record the rate of growth and feeding habits in the chicks.
The Orchard School Photo #2 - Seventh graders learn the anatomy of a battery by taking one apart and examining its contents. Understanding how chemical reactions can make electricity can be confusing and these students take time to see the components close-up.
The Orchard School Photo #3 - Prekindergarten students participate in the Mini City program. The Mini City is the culmination of an integrated learning unit dealing with community, businesses that are service versus product oriented, and commerce. Students come up with their own business for the Mini City and customers come through the city and purchase the goods and services with their "Mini City Bucks." Here, a student is operating a barbershop that provides, among other services, "blade free" shaves.
The Orchard School Photo #4 - Orchard is committed to a multicultural education. Here, sixth graders have completed a Geijutsu unit. Geijutsu is Japanese art. Each piece of artwork is made up of more than 1,000 origami cranes. The artwork was delivered to Hiroshima Peace Park where it is now displayed.
The Orchard School Photo #5 - At Orchard, students are encouraged to ask, "Why?" Here a preschooler learns why a piano sounds the way it does. She is able to see the hammers strike the strings as she presses the key on the keyboard.
The Orchard School Photo #6 - Orchard students use nature as a teacher as well. Here, students find earthworms in the school's garden and begin to understand how they are valuable worms are to the cultivation of soil and production of our food.
The Orchard School Photo #7 - Part of Orchard's 90-year history is the tapping of maple trees and production of syrup. This tradition that started in the 1950s is still alive and beloved today. First graders tap maple trees in the late winter, early spring of the year, collect the sap, boil it down to syrup and when there is enough collected, it's time for the Pancake Breakfast. All the students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni return to the school to experience the sweet result of the Orchard curriculum.
The Orchard School Photo #8 - It's not all fun and games, but sometimes it is! Fourth graders learn their states and get creative when they are allowed to develop their own board game. The rules and game play are up to them, they must be able to explain the game and it must involve all 50 US states.
The Orchard School Photo #9 - Orchard eighth graders make an annual trek to our nation's capital and Williamsburg, VA to see how government works and get up close and personal with the colonial lifestyle. When they return, they are charged with a project: recreate a piece of colonial history and be able to present it to your classmates and explain its historical significance. Here a student creates his scale replica of a colonial style farmhouse, complete with a Popsicle stick split-rail fence and thatched roof made of shredded newspaper.
The Orchard School Photo #10 - When you unlock a child's natural curiosity, learning becomes fun for them and a habit. At Orchard, lessons don't go from textbook to memory, children are encouraged to think for themselves developing problem solving skills that will last a lifetime. Here, fourth graders have been shown the different types of simple machines and are allowed to put them all together by creating Pinewood Derby cars. Once the cars are built, they are allowed to race them to then understand force and motion.
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Quick Facts (2026)

  • Top Ranked IN School
  • School Type: Alternative School
  • Grades: Prekindergarten-8
  • Enrollment: 375 students
  • Yearly Tuition: $19,931
  • Average class size: 18 students
  • Application Deadline: Jan. 25 / rolling
  • Source: ✓Verified school update

School Rankings

The Orchard School ranks among the top 20% of private schools in Indiana for:

Category
Attribute
Student Body
Largest student body

School Facts

School Type
Alternative School
School Membership(s)School Assoc.
National Association for the Education of Young Children
National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
State or regional independent school association
Religious Affiliation
Nonsectarian
Grades Offered
Grades Prekindergarten-8
Students By Grade

Distribution of Students By Grade

GradeThe Orchard School
Pre-K59
Kind45
132
243
349
448
648
751
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ADD/ADHD Support
Yes
Learning Difference Programs
Yes
Year Founded
1922

Student Body

Total Students
375 students
Student Body Type
Co-ed
% Students of Color
14%
State avg.: 26%

Academics & Faculty

Total Classroom Teachers
89 teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
4:1
National avg.: 11:1
Average Class Size
18 students
Classroom Dress Code
Casual

Tuition & Acceptance Rate

Admission Deadline
Jan. 25 / rolling
Yearly Tuition Cost
$19,931
View national tuition avg.
% on Financial Aid
30%
Admissions Director
Jennifer Bostrom
Admissions Associate
Krystal Wood
Application URL
Online Application

School Notes

  • As an independent, non-sectarian school for students in preschool through grade eight, The Orchard School is committed to the following: the Orchard School guides each student to develop the knowledge, confidence and character essential for a life of learning, leadership and positive contribution to society; we provide academic excellence by achieving high standards that extend beyond grade-level benchmarks; and by encouraging independent thought, inquiry, critical thinking, creative expression, construction and application of knowledge, and problem solving; we encourage behavioral excellence by developing character, service, and personal and civic responsibility; respecting self, others and environment; and living Orchard's core values of friendship, fairness, honesty, responsibility, self-discipline, respect, trustworthiness, compassion, integrity (moral courage).
  • Please complete an admissions application found at www.orchard.org/apply. Applicants must also submit a teacher recommendation form and an assessment. More information on Orchard's application process can be found at www.orchard.org/page/admissions/how-to-apply
Source: Verified school update
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Frequently Asked Questions

How much does The Orchard School cost?
The Orchard School's tuition is approximately $19,931 for private students.
What sports does The Orchard School offer?
The Orchard School offers 8 interscholastic sports: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Track and Field and Volleyball.
What is The Orchard School's ranking?
The Orchard School ranks among the top 20% of private schools in Indiana for: Largest student body.
When is the application deadline for The Orchard School?
The application deadline for The Orchard School is Jan. 25 / rolling (applications are due on Jan. 25 but additional applications are reviewed year-round as space permits ).
In what neighborhood is The Orchard School located?
The Orchard School is located in the Washington Township neighborhood of Indianapolis, IN. There are 9 other private schools located in Washington Township.

School Calendar

View the The Orchard School yearly calendar below. Note key dates such as:

Event
Date
Fall Break
October 13, 2026 (Tuesday)
Thanksgiving Break
November 25, 2026 (Wednesday)
Spring Break Begins Following Afternoon Dismissal
March 26, 2027 (Friday)
Spring Break
March 29, 2027 (Monday)
Last Day of School for Preschool & Pre-Kindergarten, Kids Connect Last Day
May 25, 2027 (Tuesday)

School Reviews

5  
This school is amazing. Students learn it love learning. Since I am a student I would know what it would be like in a students place, and it is truly one of the best thing ps a student could ask for. As of the 2013-2014 school year I am in the 7th grade and unfourtuntly have to begin to look for a new school, Orchard is so amazing and I''m hoping they build a high school onto the current area (possibly over the track ? ;) I don't like running). I''m a naturally born bad speller by the way for the spelling mistake above.
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Did You Know?

The average private school tuition in Indianapolis, IN is $11,006 for elementary schools and $13,057 for high schools (read more about average private school tuition across the country).
The average acceptance rate in Indianapolis, IN is 79% (read more about average acceptance rates across the country).

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