Lime Academy Orton, Peterborough
Lime Academy Orton is a special school for pupils aged 2 to 19 in Peterborough, part of Lime Trust.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Lime Academy Orton in detail
Lime Academy Orton in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "We are delighted to say that we now have our Final Ofsted report, and can share that our school has been graded ‘GOOD’ in all areas; The report has arrived with great timing as we celebrated our ‘ BEST’ days, celebrating with learners and giving our very best!"
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Lime Academy Orton are Sense College (1.1 miles, Good); The Beeches Independent School (2 miles, Requires improvement, selective); NeneGate (3.3 miles); and Heltwate School (3.5 miles, Good).
Sense CollegeThe Beeches Independent SchoolNeneGateHeltwate School
The trust
Lime Academy Orton is one of 9 schools run by Lime Trust, an academy trust.
What parents say
24 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Lime Academy Orton (as of September 2025): 96% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (83%).
Where pupils go next
Of the 18 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 94% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 11% to a further education college.
Who goes there
52.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 51.3% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
The largest ethnic groups are White British (29%), Asian (26%) and Mixed (13%).
Almost every pupil at Lime Academy Orton has an education, health and care plan (152 of 152 in 2026). The most common need among them is a severe learning difficulty.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Orton Mere (Nene Valley Railway), about 0.8 miles away in a straight line.
6 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Braybrook School (adjacent), 250 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Lime Academy Orton stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
Lime Academy Orton recorded no suspensions or permanent exclusions in 2024/25.
Sources: DfE multi-academy trust performance data; Ofsted Parent View; DfE destination measures; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoOverall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Sixth Form
Lime Academy Orton has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in June 2020. Before that, as The Phoenix School (URN 134272), it was rated Inadequate in September 2019.
Ofsted's report, in its own words
What is it like to attend this school?
At Lime Academy Orton, pupils have severe to profound learning needs. Many also have physical needs that require substantial therapeutic support. Starting in the early years, pupils learn a curriculum that helps them to communicate with others and interact with the world effectively, and this tailored curriculum continues as they progress through the school. Pupils also develop independence. Within the school's caring environment, pupils are confident and happy. They delight in learning and value their experiences at school.
Pupils learn the knowledge and skills they need to take positive next steps in life after leaving school. They learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy at home and in the local community. On school trips, pupils learn important skills such as crossing roads safely. While dining together during lunchtime, pupils learn how to make healthy choices when eating. The many cultural activities at the school, such as the celebrations of religious festivals in assembly, help pupils gain insight about the world.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Since opening as an academy in the Lime Trust, the school has experienced much change. Along with making changes to leadership and governance structures, the trust has redesigned the curriculum with school leaders. The curriculum is now well structured with 'engage' and 'inspire' pathways that meet the needs of pupils. Staff plan and deliver effective learning activities using the school's well-sequenced curriculum and the expectations outlined in each pupil's education, health and care (EHC) plan. Staff also precisely check what pupils know and can do. Staff use this information well to plan pupils' next steps in learning. Pupils generally achieve well during their time at the school.
There are some areas of the 'inspire' curriculum that are not as well developed as the rest. In these instances, teachers are not clear about the exact knowledge that pupils must know. For example, teachers are not always certain about the specific vocabulary that pupils must learn. As a result, teachers do not place sufficient emphasis on key knowledge. This leads to pupils forgetting what has been taught.
From Ofsted's September 2024 ungraded inspection report: the opening paragraphs of each section, quoted word for word. Read the full report Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
At a Glance
52.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
Yes
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
24 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Keep up with Lime Academy Orton
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Lime Academy Orton from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Lime Academy Orton is in Peterborough; for families living there:
- Peterborough's school travel policy: Mainstream school transport assistance policy
- How to apply: Apply online for school transport for 4 to 16 year olds
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 12
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 4
- Children hurt
- 4
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 8 slight.
4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Peterborough is 16 (the median across 91 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
152 pupils
153 places
1 spare place
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Peterborough
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Peterborough
Across Peterborough council
Places available
3,127
Applications
2,762
Got 1st preference
82.9%
Got preferred school
96.6%
All secondary applications across Peterborough council (2026/27), not just this school.
Inspection History
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
152
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
152
Total Pupils
93
Boys
59
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
21
Teachers
7.2:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,141
Mean salary
2026 data
Pupil Absence2024/25
14.1%
Overall absence
42.6%
Persistent absence
108
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Feeder Primary Schools
Primary schools that likely feed into this school, based on proximity
Lime Academy Orton
Showing 10 of 15 linked schools
Questions parents ask about Lime Academy Orton
What are SATs results like at Lime Academy Orton?
Of the pupils at Lime Academy Orton who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 0% reached the expected standard in reading and 0% did so in maths.
What is Lime Academy Orton's Ofsted rating?
Lime Academy Orton has had no graded Ofsted inspection since it took its current form in June 2020. Before that, as The Phoenix School (URN 134272), it was rated Inadequate in September 2019.
What is the catchment area for Lime Academy Orton?
No fixed boundary. When Lime Academy Orton is oversubscribed, Peterborough allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Lime Academy Orton?
Lime Academy Orton has around 152 pupils on roll. 53% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Lime Academy Orton?
14.1% of sessions were missed at Lime Academy Orton in 2024/25. 42.6% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Lime Academy Orton?
Apply through Peterborough's coordinated admissions process, naming Lime Academy Orton on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
How many road collisions happen near Lime Academy Orton?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 12 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 4 serious and 8 slight. 4 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 2 on foot, 1 on a bicycle and 1 in a vehicle or otherwise. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Peterborough is 16 (the median across 91 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Lime Academy Orton?
Lime Academy Orton is at Clayton Site, Orton Goldhay, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE2 5SD.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)