Walton Oak Primary School in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, has been awarded the national Leading Parent Partnership Award (LPPA) in recognition of its work to involve parents more fully in school life. The school announced the achievement in January 2026 after a multi-year effort to strengthen home–school links and provide pastoral support to families.
To earn the LPPA, the school submitted evidence showing it communicates clearly with parents, provides pastoral help when families face challenges, and meets other criteria in the LPPA framework. According to the LPPA standards, increasing parental participation in school life can lead to improved pupil progress, punctuality, attendance and behaviour.
The news follows a positive Ofsted inspection in July 2023, which rated Walton Oak as ‘Good’ and noted that “children make rapid progress from their typically lower starting points.” Walton Oak is part of the Lumen Learning Trust, which provides governance and support for the school.
School staff, including the Home School Link Worker, played a central role in supporting families who need extra guidance. The school’s Parent Teacher Association, Friends of Walton Oak (FOWO), also helps by running community events and raising funds for school projects. In an official school statement the school said: “We are delighted to announce we have been awarded the LPPA Award for our commitment and consistent approach to building strong parental partnerships, relationships with the community and breaking down barriers to support all families.”
Notes: The LPPA is a nationally recognised award (administered via the AwardPlace/Optimus Education framework) that requires schools to demonstrate evidence across specific objectives. Journalists seeking an attributable quote from Headteacher Mrs Siân McCarthy should contact the school office.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
