School Chooser

Lime Academy Parnwell

Primary · ages 5-11MixedAcademy287 pupils Free breakfast clubPeterborough
School Chooser Score
20
Below
similar schools
Likely range 11 to 38
Out of 100. Better than 16% of the 50 schools most like it. Getting better year on year.
OfstedGoodLast Ofsted inspection, March 2022
Reached the expected level at 1163%England 63%
Attendance92.0%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families66%Far more than most schools
Places133 spare287 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher16.1School workforce census

Lime Academy Parnwell is a sponsored academy in Peterborough for boys and girls aged 5 to 11. It has 287 pupils and room for 420. About 66 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far more than at most schools in England. We give it 21 out of 100. That puts it below schools like it, ahead of 16% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2022.

Saltersgate, Parnwell, Peterborough, PE1 4YH01733 942912limeacademyparnwell.orgMs Ellie Gibson headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 1 March 2022, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Good overall.

TeachingOfsted calls this “quality of education”
Good
BehaviourOfsted calls this “behaviour and attitudes”
Good
WellbeingOfsted calls this “personal development”
Good
LeadershipOfsted calls this “leadership and management”
Good
Early years
Good
Safeguarding
Effective
Yes

This inspection is more than 4 years old. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of one grade.

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

54 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.

Reached the expected level at 1163%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level9%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score104.0
England 105.6
Official name: Reading average scaled score
Maths score102.0
England 104.6
Official name: Maths average scaled score
Trend
Reached the expected level at 11
2017 to 2025
2017: 27%27%20172018: 37%37%20182019: 47%47%20192023: 27%27%20232024: 38%38%20242025: 63%63%2025
Since 2017: +36%Improving overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017†PeterboroughEngland
Pupils tested544755383533
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths63%38%27%47%37%27%64%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths9%0%0%0%0%0%7%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score104.0100.098.0100.0101.098.0104.8105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score102.098.096.0100.0101.099.0104.4104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score102.098.097.0101.0103.0102.0104.6105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard72%57%36%55%57%52%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard70%51%33%63%63%42%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)81%49%45%53%51%48%
Reading progressReading progress score-3.5-1.3-2.8-3.7
Maths progressMaths progress score-4.6-1.0-3.0-3.0
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged50%31%16%41%44%19%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged75%48%42%52%29%35%

There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.

† These results are for Lime Academy Parnwell, the school this one replaced in August 2017. Same building and the same children. It got a new registration number, usually because it joined an academy trust.

Does every child do well here?

A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 1 of the 4 gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.

At the end of primary school, 2025

Reached the expected level at 11Low-income pupils vs other pupils
50%75%
Gap 25 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
66%60%
Gap 6 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Pupils learning English vs all pupils
67%63%
Gap 4 ptsEngland 4 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%9%
Gap 9 ptsEngland 5 pts
First groupSecond groupEngland, each group

Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.

Getting a place

Admissions policy not published.

Plenty of spare places325 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
77% full

95 places were empty (23% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 6% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.

Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Peterborough council's admissions booklet, send it to us.

Who goes here

Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.

Pupils on roll287Census January 2026
Places42068% full
Pupils from low-income families66%66% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English53%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support20%57 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan4%11 pupils with a plan
Average class size23.912 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils0%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)60%£268,150 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls136 / 151
White British pupils23%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 28.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 24.9 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (28), emotional and mental health (23), Moderate learning difficulty (8), Autistic spectrum disorder (4), Hearing impairment (2), Specific learning difficulty (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll287328355362330313
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals66%61%60%58%54%48%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language53%54%50%48%49%48%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support22%18%11%12%13%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%1%0%1%0%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 92.0% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance92.0%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school24.0%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils12.82024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission3.5%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence8.0%9.2%10.0%9.2%8.8%8.9%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence4.4%4.5%6.2%6.4%6.3%5.9%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence3.5%4.7%3.8%2.8%2.5%3.0%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence24.0%30.9%32.4%33.6%26.5%33.0%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate12.813.021.634.66.7
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.

Teachers17.8full-time equivalent, 18 people
Pupils per teacher16.1Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants7.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£49,991
Teachers who left in the year6%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher4.02024/25

Money

From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.

Spend per pupil£7,210England £7,128. Total £2.4m
Income per pupil£8,460England £7,587. Total £2.8m
Spent on teachers per pupil£4,768England £3,405
Money in reserve29%A lot put by: £804k, £2,451 per pupil. England 9%
Money in against money out+£410kit took in more than it spent this year
Where the money goes£7,210spent per pupil

Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.

The area around the school

Crimes within 500 m38212 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate152 per 1,000 people67% higher than the England average

Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.

Nearby schools

The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.

Well aboveAboveIn lineBelowWell belowNot scored
SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
Newark Hill AcademyAcademy770 m435Good 202362Compare
Welland AcademyAcademy0.7 miles405Good 201922Compare
Dogsthorpe Infant SchoolAcademy0.9 miles235Good 202312Compare
St Thomas More Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy1.0 miles407Good 202413Compare
Dogsthorpe AcademyAcademy1.0 miles318No overall grade 20257Compare
Lime Academy AbbotsmedeAcademy1.2 miles423Report card 202631Compare
Thomas Deacon AcademyAcademy1.3 miles2,256No overall grade 202427Compare
Eye CofE Primary SchoolChurch of England1.3 miles426No overall grade 202564Compare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Lime Academy Parnwell with the 49 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 49 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats16%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the bottom quarter of its group. Its score of 21 is 32 points below the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 3 · middle 53 · highest 96100

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 21 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 21% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 11 to 38. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.

What we looked atHow much it countsAgainst schools like itEffect on the scoreBased on
Results over three years25%below
-0.22
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 54 pupils
Ofsted inspection16% (normally 20%, cut because the inspection is old)in line
+0.01
Ofsted grade, 4.5 years old
Progress pupils make20%well below
-0.27
DfE progress measure; 54 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%well above
+0.31
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%well below
-0.18
2024/25; 333 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.06
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 54 pupils
What parents say0%no data

Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.

Questions parents ask

Is Lime Academy Parnwell a good school?

The figures are weak. Lime Academy Parnwell scores 21 out of 100. That is below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 16% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 11 to 38, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been getting better over the last five years.

What is Lime Academy Parnwell's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Lime Academy Parnwell good at its last full inspection on 1 March 2022. That was more than four years ago. When Ofsted next visits, the school will get a report card instead of a single grade.

How good are Lime Academy Parnwell's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 63% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 9% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Lime Academy Parnwell have?

287 pupils aged 5 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 68% full.

Is Lime Academy Parnwell oversubscribed?

Probably not. 95 places were empty in 2024/25 (23% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.

What is attendance like at Lime Academy Parnwell?

Pupils were in school 92.0% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 24% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Lime Academy Parnwell?

The average class had 23.9 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.

Does Lime Academy Parnwell have a breakfast club?

Yes. It is on the government's free breakfast club programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school.

These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.

Contact and details

Address
Saltersgate, Parnwell, Peterborough, PE1 4YH
Telephone
01733 942912
Website
limeacademyparnwell.org
Headteacher
Ms Ellie Gibson
Free breakfast club
Yes: on the government's programme, so every pupil can have a free half-hour breakfast club before school (listed since September 2026).
Type of school
Sponsored academy (Academy sponsor led, academies)
Phase
Primary school, ages 5-11
Gender
Mixed
Multi-academy trust
Lime Trust (9 schools)
Local authority
Peterborough
Ward
East
Constituency
Peterborough
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Opened
1 August 2017 (new provision)
URN
144598 · LAESTAB 8742010 · UKPRN 10063718
Formerly
Lime Academy Parnwell

Where these figures come from