School Chooser

Park Mead Primary

Primary · ages 4-11MixedFoundation423 pupilsCranleighSurrey
School Chooser Score
71
Above
similar schools
Likely range 52 to 83, so it could be “in line”
Out of 100. Better than 60% of the 50 schools most like it. Much the same over the last five years.
OfstedNo overall gradeLast Ofsted inspection, October 2024
Reached the expected level at 1158%England 63%
Attendance95.8%England 94.8%
Pupils from low-income families13%Far fewer than most schools
PlacesFull423 pupils, 420 places
Pupils per teacher23.6School workforce census

Park Mead Primary is a foundation school in Cranleigh for boys and girls aged 4 to 11. It has 423 pupils, 3 more than it has places for. About 13 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 71 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 60% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was inspected 2024, no overall grade.

Park Drive, Park Mead Estate, Cranleigh, GU6 7HB01483 274315park-mead.surrey.sch.ukMr Neil McAuliffe headteacherAll details

What Ofsted found

Ofsted's last full inspection was on 1 October 2024, back when it gave schools one overall grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.

Not judged Between September 2024 and November 2025, Ofsted graded each area but stopped giving one overall word.

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

Results

Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025

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

Reached the expected level at 1158%
England 63%
Official name: Expected standard in reading, writing and maths
Working above the expected level8%
England 8%
Official name: Higher standard in reading, writing and maths
Reading score105.0
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: 59%59%20172018: 66%66%20182019: 63%63%20192023: 47%47%20232024: 60%60%20242025: 58%58%2025
Since 2017: -1%Steady overall
All Year 6 measures, year by year
Measure202520242023201920182017SurreyEngland
Pupils tested596058625961
Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths58%60%47%63%66%59%67%63%
Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths8%10%3%11%5%16%11%8%
Reading scoreReading average scaled score105.0105.0104.0105.0106.0103.0107.0105.6
Maths scoreMaths average scaled score102.0105.0103.0104.0106.0105.0105.6104.6
Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score103.0103.0102.0105.0106.0104.0106.3105.2
Expected level: readingReading expected standard81%73%69%71%81%61%
Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard69%75%62%73%75%74%
Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed)73%72%59%81%68%67%
Reading progressReading progress score+3.0-0.1+0.5-1.6
Maths progressMaths progress score+3.3-1.6+1.1+1.1
Expected level: low-income pupilsExpected standard, disadvantaged22%57%21%50%45%36%
Expected level: other pupilsExpected standard, non-disadvantaged64%60%55%65%71%66%

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.

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 3 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
22%64%
Gap 42 ptsEngland 21 pts
Reached the expected level at 11Boys vs girls
58%57%
Gap 1 ptsEngland 5 pts
Reached the higher level at 11Low-income pupils vs all pupils
0%8%
Gap 8 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.

Nearly full419 pupils for 420 places, 2024/25
100% full

Fewer than one place in twenty is empty, so in most years more families apply than there are places. Living close by, or already having a child here, makes a real difference. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.

Will my child get a place?

The last child to get a place lived 1.4 miles away in 2026, 0.9 miles away in 2025. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils, faith and other priority groups are placed first. After that, the closer you live, the better your chances. Type in your postcode to see how far away you are.

We measure in a straight line from the middle of your postcode to the school. The council measures its own way, and the cut-off changes every year. Use this as a rough guide, and read the council's admissions booklet before you apply.

How places were given out for September 2026. More children applied than there were places. The last place went to a child living 1.4 miles from the school. Living closer than that didn't guarantee a place, but living much further away meant missing out that year.

EntryPlacesGot a placeHow far the last child livedSource
2026 Primary60601.4 milesLA
2025 Primary60600.9 milesLA
2024 Primary60590.9 milesLA

The distances are the council's own, usually measured in a straight line from home to the school gate. If the distance is getting shorter each year, the school is getting harder to get into. See which councils we have this data for.

What a home within 0.9 miles of the school costs

Typical sale price within 0.9 miles of the school£550,000half sold for £400k to £680k
Homes sold254December 2023 to December 2025, Land Registry
Compared with the district+0%a typical home in the district sells for £550,000

Every home sold within that distance of the school (the typical cut-off over the last three years), of any type, from HM Land Registry records. If homes here cost more than the district average, that is the price people pay to live close enough to get in.

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 roll423Census January 2026
Places420101% full
Pupils from low-income families13%13% have had free school meals at some point in the last six years
Pupils learning English6%First language is not English
Pupils getting extra support17%70 pupils with SEN support
Pupils with an EHC plan3%13 pupils with a plan
Average class size30.17 classes, January 2026; England 25.4
Classes with more than 30 pupils14%Infant classes are capped at 30 by law; England 10%
Pupils with extra funding (pupil premium)11%£74,400 extra funding in 2026/27; England 24%
Boys and girls209 / 214
White British pupils88%

Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 30.0 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 30.2 (England 27.3).

The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (33), language and communications needs (21), emotional and mental health (10), Autistic spectrum disorder (8), Other difficulty or disability (8), Specific learning difficulty (2).

How the mix of pupils has changed
Census202620252024202320222021
Pupils on roll423421422417414410
Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals13%13%11%13%14%12%
Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language6%6%6%5%6%5%
Pupils getting extra supportSEN support18%15%13%17%20%
Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans2%3%5%6%5%

Attendance and behaviour

In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.8% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.

Attendance95.8%
England 94.8%
Official name: 100 minus overall absence
Pupils missing a lot of school8.2%
England 12.8%
Official name: Persistent absence
Suspensions per 100 pupils0.72024/25, no permanent exclusions
Missed without permission0.7%of school time, 2024/25
Attendance year by year
Measure2024/252023/242022/232021/222020/212018/19England
Sessions missedOverall absence4.2%5.1%5.6%6.4%2.6%4.3%5.2%
Missed with permissionAuthorised absence3.5%4.1%4.5%5.4%1.8%3.5%
Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence0.7%1.1%1.0%1.0%0.8%0.9%
Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence8.2%9.8%12.8%17.7%2.8%10.5%12.8%
SuspensionsSuspension rate0.70.00.20.20.0
Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions00000

Staff and money

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

Teachers17.9full-time equivalent, 23 people
Pupils per teacher23.6Pupils for every full-time teacher
Fully qualified teachers100%hold qualified teacher status
Teaching assistants15.7full-time equivalent
Average teacher pay£52,497
Teachers who left in the year4%2024/25, for any reason including retirement
Vacancies0
Sick days per teacher1.72024/25

Money

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

Spend per pupil£5,953England £7,738. Total £2.5m
Income per pupil£5,770England £7,697. Total £2.4m
Spent on teachers per pupil£3,077England £3,480
Money in reserve2%Very little put by: £36k, £86 per pupil. England 6%
Money in against money out-£77kit spent more than it took in this year
Where the money goes£5,953spent 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 m6912 months to June 2026, mostly violence and sexual offences
Local crime rate43 per 1,000 people53% lower than the England average
Typical house price£550,000Waverley
Nearest bus stop250 mSherrydon, 8 stops within 500 m

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
St Cuthbert Mayne Catholic Primary SchoolAcademy700 m208Good 202383Compare
Cranleigh Church of England Primary SchoolAcademy0.8 miles182Inadequate 20220Compare
Ewhurst CofE Aided Primary SchoolChurch of England1.4 miles46No overall grade 202575Compare
Peaslake Free SchoolFree school3.8 miles23No overall grade 202547Compare
Wonersh and Shamley Green CofE Aided Primary SchoolChurch of England4.0 miles212Good 202390Compare
Rudgwick Primary SchoolCouncil4.0 miles213Good 202357Compare
Bramley CofE Infant School and NurseryAcademy4.8 miles113Not inspectedCompare

Compared with schools like it

Our score compares Park Mead Primary with the 48 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 48 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.

Beats60%of schools with a similar mix of pupils
In the upper half of its group. Its score of 71 is 9 points above the typical school in the group.
0Lowest of the group 15 · middle 61 · highest 98100

Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher

Of those 48 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Park Mead Primary, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.

SchoolTypeDistancePupilsOfstedScore
St Martin's CofE Primary SchoolAcademy8.7 miles364Not inspected92Compare

How the score was worked out

The score is out of 100. A 71 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 71% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 52 to 83. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. 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%in line
-0.05
2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 59 pupils
Ofsted inspection20%above
+0.09
Ofsted grade, 1.9 years old
Progress pupils make20%above
+0.19
DfE progress measure; 59 pupils
Direction of travel over five years10%above
+0.05
results and attendance rising year on year
Attendance and behaviour10%above
+0.07
2024/25; 364 pupils
Results, allowing for the mix of pupils10%below
-0.10
Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 59 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 Park Mead Primary a good school?

Yes, going by the figures. Park Mead Primary scores 71 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 60% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 52 to 83, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.

What is Park Mead Primary's Ofsted rating?

Ofsted rated Park Mead Primary not judged at its last full inspection on 1 October 2024.

How good are Park Mead Primary's SATs results?

In summer 2025, 58% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 8% went further and reached the higher level.

How many pupils does Park Mead Primary have?

423 pupils aged 4 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 101% full.

Is Park Mead Primary oversubscribed, and how far away can you live?

Yes. For September 2026 the last place went to a child living 1.4 miles away. Children in care, brothers and sisters of current pupils and other priority groups come before distance, so the cut-off moves every year.

What is attendance like at Park Mead Primary?

Pupils were in school 95.8% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 8% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.

How big are the classes at Park Mead Primary?

The average class had 30.1 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. 14% of classes had more than 30 pupils.

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

Contact and details

Address
Park Drive, Park Mead Estate, Cranleigh, GU6 7HB
Telephone
01483 274315
Website
www.park-mead.surrey.sch.uk
Headteacher
Mr Neil McAuliffe
Type of school
Foundation school (Foundation school, local authority maintained schools)
Phase
Primary school, ages 4-11
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
None
Local authority
Surrey
Ward
Cranleigh East
Constituency
Godalming and Ash
Setting
Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
URN
125293 · LAESTAB 9365211 · UKPRN 10069610
Formerly
Park Mead Infant School

Where these figures come from