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Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery

Primary Ages 3-7 182 pupils Chigwell
Ofsted: Good
All schools in Chigwell

Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery is an academy converter in Chigwell for pupils aged 3 to 7. It has 182 pupils on roll. The latest Ofsted rating for Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery is Good, from an inspection in November 2017 of its predecessor, Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery.

Ofsted inspection: November 2022.

Type Primary / Academy converter
Age Range 3-7
Religion Does not apply
Address Limes Avenue
Chigwell
Essex
IG7 5LP
Reference Number 145991

General Makeup

Number of pupils 182
Boy/Girl ratio Boys: 47.8%
Girls: 52.2%
Percentage of students eligible for free school meals 23.3%
Percentage of students where English is not their first language 55.5%

Class Sizes

Average size of one teacher classes 24.6
Average size of Key Stage 1 classes taught by one teacher 25.3

Year Groups

Year Boys Girls Total
1 23 25 48
2 20 31 51

Ethnicities

Ethnicity Percentage
White, Other 30.8%
White, British 23.6%
African 9.9%
Pakistani 4.9%
Indian 4.4%
Asian, Other 4.4%
Mixed, Other 3.8%
Caribbean 3.3%
White & Black (Caribbean) 2.7%
White & Asian 1.1%
White & Black (African) 1.1%
Chinese 0.5%

This school has not been graded since it changed URN, usually on converting to an academy. The rating shown is from its predecessor, Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery, inspected in November 2017.

Overall Ofsted Rating Good
Last Report Date 18 Oct 2022 – no overall grade published for this inspection
Date Report
18 Oct 2022 School inspection
04 Jul 2018 Academy conversion letter
28 Nov 2017 Short inspection
Previously as Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery
08 May 2013 Full inspection:
10 Jun 2010 Full inspection:
01 Mar 2007 Full inspection:
07 Oct 2002 Full inspection

Reception admissions, 2026 entry

Number of Applications Number of Offers
First Preference
Second Preference 5 0
Third Preference 9 0
From another Local Authority 30 11

Previous years

Sample

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Places and pupil numbers

In 2024–25 Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery had 128 pupils for 166 places. 38 places (22.9%) were unfilled.

Pupils and places

Reception intake in the “Epping Forest Primary F: Southeast (Chigwell)” planning area

Essex counted 125 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 132 in 2029–30, up 6%.

201920212022202320242025
Places 166166166166166166
Pupils 141132135140145128
Unfilled 15.1%20.5%18.7%15.7%12.7%22.9%

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery attended 94.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

201920212022202320242025
Authorised absence 4.4%3.6%5.6%6.1%6.0%4.9%
Unauthorised absence 0.6%0.2%1.1%1.7%1.1%0.6%
Severely absent pupils 2.8%3.0%0.0%0.0%1.0%1.1%

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

2019202020212022202320242025
Suspensions per 100 pupils 0.00.00.00.03.50.00.0
Permanent exclusions 0000000

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery had 23.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 15.8% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

20192020202120222023202420252026
Pupils per adult 7.78.99.28.89.19.07.48.4
Teachers who left state teaching 14.0%0.0%0.0%20.9%0.0%0.0%15.8%–
Teachers who took any sick leave 84.6%–100.0%88.9%77.8%88.9%44.4%–
Sick days per teacher 12.3–5.315.48.28.37.7–

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 19.8% of pupils at Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 6.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

SEN support EHC plan
Speech, language and communication needs 18 6
Specific learning difficulty 7 0
Autistic spectrum disorder 2 4
Social, emotional and mental health 4 1
No specialist assessment of need 3 0
Down's syndrome 1 0
Physical disability 1 0

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery received £8,628 and spent £8,916 for each of its 153 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £156,000 (£1,026 per pupil).

Across all 16 schools of Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust, income was £7,618 and spending £7,577 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

2019202020212022202320242025
Revenue reserve £127,000£165,000£179,000£156,000£153,000£150,000£156,000
per pupil £774£1,005£1,100£982£943£851£1,026
In-year balance -£83,000-£46,000£12,000-£26,000-£19,000-£13,000-£44,000
per pupil -£506-£282£74-£164-£115-£71-£289

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

Name Distance
Limes Farm Junior School
Limes Avenue, Chigwell, Essex, IG7 5LP
0 miles
Manford Primary School
Manford Way, Chigwell, Essex, IG7 4BX
0.59 miles
Early Years Assessment Service and Centre Co Manford Primary School
Manford Way, Chigwell, IG7 4BX
0.59 miles
Fairlop Primary School
Colvin Gardens, Hainault, Ilford, Essex, IG6 2LH
0.65 miles
Wells Park School
School Lane, Lambourne Road, Chigwell, Essex, IG7 6NN
0.78 miles
John Bramston Primary School
Newcastle Avenue, New North Road, Hainault, Essex, IG6 3EE
0.9 miles
Wohl Ilford Jewish Primary School
Forest Road, Ilford, Essex, IG6 3HB
0.99 miles
Clore Tikva School
115 Fullwell Avenue, Barkingside, Clore Tikva School, Ilford, Essex, IG6 2JN
1.01 miles
Gilbert Colvin Primary School
Strafford Avenue, Ilford, Essex, IG5 0TL
1.15 miles
Coppice Primary School
Coppice Primary School, Manford Way, Chigwell, Essex, IG7 4AL
1.16 miles
Mossford Green Primary School
Fairlop Road, Barkingside, Ilford, Essex, IG6 2EW
1.2 miles
Chigwell Primary Academy
Mandir Lane, Chigwell, Essex, IG7 6ED
1.21 miles
Roding Primary School
Roding Lane North, Woodford Bridge, Woodford Green, Essex, IG8 8NP
1.4 miles
Avanti Court Primary School
Carlton Drive, Barkingside, Essex, IG6 1LZ
1.4 miles
Glade Primary School
Atherton Road, Clayhall, Ilford, Essex, IG5 0PF
1.56 miles
Fullwood Primary School
21-24 Burford Close, Off Hatley Avenue, Barkingside, Ilford, Essex, IG6 1ER
1.64 miles
Parkhill Infants' School
Lord Avenue, Clayhall, Ilford, Essex, IG5 0DB
1.69 miles
Parkhill Junior School
Lord Avenue, Clayhall, Ig13se, Ilford, Essex, IG5 0DB
1.69 miles
Chigwell Row Infant School
Lambourne Road, Chigwell, Essex, IG7 6EZ
1.79 miles
Ray Lodge Primary School
Snakes Lane East, Woodford Green, Essex, IG8 7JQ
1.86 miles
Name Distance
New Rush Hall School
Fencepiece Road, Hainault, Ilford, Essex, IG6 2LB
0.54 miles
St John's RC School (Essex)
Turpins Lane, Woodford Bridge, Essex, IG8 8AX
0.97 miles
King Solomon High School
Forest Road, Barkingside, Ilford, Essex, IG6 3HB
1.01 miles
West Hatch High School
High Road, Chigwell, Essex, IG7 5BT
1.07 miles
Forest Academy
Harbourer Road, Hainault, Ilford, Essex, IG6 3TN
1.2 miles
Chigwell School
High Road, Chigwell, IG7 6QF
1.21 miles
Ilford County High School
Fremantle Road, Barkingside, Ilford, Essex, IG6 2JB
1.21 miles
Luxborough Court School
Luxborough Lane, Chigwell, Essex, Essex, IG7 5AA
1.41 miles
Caterham High School
Caterham Avenue, Clayhall, Ilford, Essex, IG5 0QW
1.49 miles
Oaks Park High School
45-65 Oaks Lane, Newbury Park, Ilford, Essex, IG2 7PQ
2.07 miles
Little Heath School
Hainault Road, Little Heath, Romford, Essex, RM6 5RX
2.15 miles
Beal High School
Woodford Bridge Road, Ilford, Essex, IG4 5LP
2.16 miles
Stradbroke
133 Stradbroke Grove, Ilford, IG5 0DL
2.2 miles
Atam Academy
Little Heath, Romford, Essex, RM6 4XX
2.3 miles
Woodbridge High School
St Barnabas Road, Woodford Green, Essex, IG8 7DQ
2.36 miles
Valentines High School
Cranbrook Road, Ilford, Essex, IG2 6HX
2.5 miles
Newbridge School
161 Gresham Drive, Romford, Essex, RM6 4TR
2.64 miles
Bancroft's School
611-627 High Road, Woodford Green, IG8 0RF
2.71 miles
Seven Kings School
Ley Street, Ilford, Essex, IG2 7BT
2.75 miles
Roding Valley High School
Alderton Hill, Loughton, Essex, IG10 3JA
2.77 miles

All schools in Chigwell · Essex local authority: places and applications

Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery is part of Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust, which runs 16 schools. The nearest others:

What is Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery is Good, from an inspection in November 2017 of its predecessor, Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery.

When was Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery last inspected by Ofsted?

Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery was last inspected in November 2022.

How many pupils does Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery have?

Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery has 182 pupils on roll.

What age range does Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery cover?

Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery for pupils aged 3 to 7.

Where is Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery?

Limes Farm Infant School and Nursery is at Limes Avenue, Chigwell, Essex, IG7 5LP.

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