Polesden Lacey Infant Academy

About Polesden Lacey Infant Academy

Polesden Lacey Infant Academy is a state primary school in Mole Valley, Surrey, for children aged 4 to 7, and its most recent Ofsted inspection in 2023 rated it Good overall. That places it below the local authority's top tier — Surrey has 33 Outstanding primary schools out of 298 total — but the school's own history shows it has moved from Outstanding (in its 2010 inspection) to Good, a shift that reflects tighter national grading criteria rather than a dramatic decline. For a school that only covers the infant years, the key academic benchmark locally is the Key Stage 2 average for Surrey primary schools, which sits at 66. Because Polesden Lacey Infant Academy finishes at Year 2, it does not participate in KS2 SATs, so direct comparison against the LA average is not possible from the data. However, the school's early years provision was rated Good in 2023, and its behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management all received the same Good rating, suggesting a solid foundation for its youngest pupils.

Without KS2 results or a Progress 8 score — which are not published for infant-only schools — the most telling academic indicator is the Ofsted breakdown. In its 2023 graded inspection, every category was rated 2 (Good), including quality of education, early years provision, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management. This consistency is notable because the previous inspection in 2010 had rated early years provision as Outstanding (grade 1), so the current Good rating represents a step down in that specific area, but it is still a strong outcome. The school's headteacher, Rebecca Mole, leads a team that has maintained Good across the board, and the inspection report (published in March 2023) found no areas requiring improvement. For parents comparing options in Surrey, this school sits in the majority of Good-rated primaries, rather than the 11% that are Outstanding, but its uniform Good grades across all domains suggest reliable, well-managed provision for the early years.

The school operates on a small site with a capacity of 90 pupils, which keeps class sizes intimate, and it offers a notably broad range of facilities for an infant school: a gymnasium, library, art studios, music rooms, a forest school area, and even a chapel. Sports include cross country, swimming, tennis, and netball, while clubs extend to coding, chess, book club, science club, choir, and film club — an impressive selection for such a young age group. There is no nursery provision, so children join in Reception at age 4. The nearest Outstanding-rated primary is St Peter's Catholic Primary School, 4.7 km away, which may be relevant for families prioritising that top grade. Polesden Lacey Infant Academy is best suited to parents seeking a small, well-resourced infant school with strong pastoral care and a wide extracurricular offer, particularly those who value forest school and creative arts, and who are comfortable with a Good rather than Outstanding Ofsted rating.

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