Mytchett Primary & Nursery Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Mytchett Primary and Nursery Academy Hamesmoor Road, Mytchett, Camberley, Surrey GU16 6JB

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Outcome

Mytchett Primary and Nursery Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Timothy Lodge. This school is part of The Kite Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Jeremy Meek, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Matthew Woodruff. There is also an executive headteacher, Lynn Wicksey, who is responsible for this school and others in the trust.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are proud and happy members of the ‘Mychett family’. The school’s values of positivity, integrity, resilience, respect and aspiration are the hallmark of everyday life. The school has high expectations for pupils’ academic and wider success. It develops pupils’ curiosity and concentration effectively from a young age. As a result, pupils mainly achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Around school, pupils share a warm smile with their friends and staff as they go about their day. They behave well and demonstrate high levels of confidence and respect. Pupils are especially proud to achieve the ‘Above and Beyond Awards’. They feel safe and trust that staff will help them and deal with any worries or concerns they have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the wide range of opportunities on offer. They develop their hobbies through clubs such as dance, taekwondo and needlework. Pupils take care of the environment. They plant flowers and organise litter picks. Pupils develop their leadership skills through a range of roles and responsibilities. They contribute to the local community by taking part in different fundraising initiatives such as raising donations for the food bank. Pupils talk excitedly about the residential trips where they learn vital skills such as teamwork and problem solving. 17 and 18 June 2025

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Together with the trust, the school has navigated recent changes in leadership and staffing with care and determination. Throughout this period, the team has worked thoughtfully to sustain and build on the standards already established. Their collective efforts have helped to ensure that the quality of education is effective, and the school continues to move from strength to strength.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school’s curriculum is ambitious and extensive. Across the different subjects, it has set out carefully the important knowledge that pupils should learn, starting from Nursery through to Year 6. The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND accurately. Staff make suitable adaptations to learning to ensure that pupils with SEND access the curriculum successfully. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The curriculum is regularly reviewed so that pupils learn it well. Recent improvements to writing mean pupils learn and remember more. Teachers ensure that pupils and children in the early years, use their prior knowledge of spellings and grammatical features with flair and fluency in their writing. However, the same rigorous approach is not applied in the school’s teaching of handwriting. Errors in how pupils form letters or join their handwriting are not consistently identified or addressed.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Teachers have the subject knowledge they need to teach the curriculum effectively. Staff help pupils to develop their ideas and vocabulary in the subjects they study. The school provides clear support and guidance for staff to help them to identify and meet the differing needs of pupils and children in the younger years. However, in a few subjects, staff do not check carefully what pupils understand and remember, such as before introducing new learning. Where this happens, misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge are not addressed well enough. As a result, some pupils, do not learn subject content as well as they could.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Learning to read and to love reading, is a top priority. Children in the early years are introduced to letters and sounds from the very start. Staff deliver the school’s phonics programme very well. They make careful checks on pupils’ phonics knowledge to identify and help those who need extra support. As a result, pupils become confident and fluent readers.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Most pupils display positive attitudes towards their learning. This starts in Nursery where children respond to the routines that are in place and are eager to share their ideas with staff. Pupils’ enjoyment of school is evident in their high attendance.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school provides pupils with wide-ranging opportunities to develop personally. Assemblies, clubs, trips and visits enrich their learning. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including when online. They understand the importance of having a healthy mind and a healthy body. Pupils show respect for different faiths and beliefs. They have a strong understanding of equality and equity. Pupils take part in debates and discussions on topics such as immigration, stereotypes and mutual respect. When talking 17 and 18 June 2025

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about respecting individual differences, one pupil remarked, ‘We treat everyone is an equal and no one should be left out just because they are different.’ This captures the mature citizens pupils at this school grow into.

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Governors and trustees have an accurate oversight of the school’s work that they use to support and challenge school leaders very well. Managing staff workload and well-being is a key priority. Staff feel well supported and value the professional development and wider specialist support the trust provides.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is variation in how well handwriting is taught. This means that some pupils do not secure the foundational skills of accurate letter formation well enough. The school should ensure that there is a consistent and effective approach to teaching early handwriting skills.  In a few foundation subjects, staff do not check and address misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the concepts taught. Consequently, some pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should continue its work to ensure that all staff are equipped to check and make sure that pupils secure the important knowledge they need to learn and remember well in all subjects.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately. 17 and 18 June 2025

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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in October 2019.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school's pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 17 and 18 June 2025

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School details

Headteacher Lynn Wicksey (executive headteacher) Timothy Lodge (headteacher) Website www.mytchett.kite.academy

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 15 and 16 October 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Mytchett Primary and Nursery Academy is part of The Kite Academy Trust.  The headteacher took up his post in January 2025.  The chair of trustees was appointed to their role in September 2024.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school has a Nursery for two-year-olds and three-year-olds.  The school offers before-school care.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 17 and 18 June 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke to the executive headteacher, headteacher, CEO, deputy CEO, director of education, other school and trust leaders and staff. The lead inspector also met with three trustees, including the chair who attended online. The lead inspector also spoke online with the chair of the academy council.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. She also considered the curriculum design in a range of subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector looked at the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted Parent View. She also reviewed responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Shazia Akram, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 17 and 18 June 2025

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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