Park Mead Primary

Park Mead Primary is a caring, happy school where pupils thrive and behave exceptionally well. Inspectors found strong personal development, effective leadership and a broad, ambitious curriculum that is continually being refined. Reading is a particular priority from the start of Reception, and children get off to a strong start in the early years. Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities that build confidence and responsibility, and safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school has responded well to low key stage 2 outcomes in 2023 by improving reading and writing. However, in a few foundation subjects, important knowledge is not sequenced well enough, which limits how securely pupils build understanding over time. Some teachers also do not check pupils' understanding or address gaps promptly, so misconceptions can persist. In addition, some staff do not use SEND strategies consistently well, which can hinder some pupils with SEND from completing learning activities. This was the school's first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, carried out as a graded inspection under section 5. The school remains a good school overall, with exemplary behaviour and attitudes, and leaders and governors are focused on continued improvement.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, caring and demonstrate the school's values of kindness, curiosity and determination.
• Behaviour and attitudes are outstanding, with exemplary conduct and positive attitudes to learning.
• Reading has a sharp focus from the start of Reception, with close tracking and effective support for pupils who struggle.
• The curriculum is broad and ambitious and is continuously refined, with a strong start in the early years.
• Personal development is prioritised, including safety, mental health, equality and responsibility.
• Leadership and governance are effective, with close oversight and attention to staff workload.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• The school takes prompt action to improve attendance.

Areas for Improvement

• In a few foundation subjects, curriculum design does not sequence knowledge well enough over time.
• Some teachers do not check pupils' understanding or address gaps well enough, allowing misconceptions to persist.
• Some teachers do not use strategies to support pupils with SEND consistently well, hindering some pupils' learning.

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 Park Mead Primary attended 95.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.2% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

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, 0.5% of pupils at Park Mead Primary were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

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 Park Mead Primary had 23.6 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 4.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

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, 16.5% of pupils at Park Mead Primary were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.1% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

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 2025–26 Park Mead Primary received £6,028 and spent £6,082 for each of its 423 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £14,000 (£32 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Cranleigh · Surrey local authority: places and applications

What is Park Mead Primary's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Park Mead Primary is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Park Mead Primary last inspected by Ofsted?

Park Mead Primary was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Park Mead Primary have?

Park Mead Primary has 423 pupils on roll.

What age range does Park Mead Primary cover?

Park Mead Primary for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Park Mead Primary's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 58% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Park Mead Primary?

Park Mead Primary is at Park Drive, Park Mead Estate, Cranleigh, Surrey, GU6 7HB.