Gurnard Primary School, Cowes
Gurnard Primary School is a primary school for pupils aged 4 to 11 in Cowes. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in May 2012. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in February 2025 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 10th-highest of the 36 schools in Isle of Wight with published results, and 8,234th of 14,452 across England. It was 99% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- In line with England
- Ofsted
- Good (2012)
- Demand
- Oversubscribed
- Attendance
- In line with England
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 81 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Isle of Wight (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Gurnard Primary School in detail
Gurnard Primary School in its own words
The school runs after-school care.
Wraparound care (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Results
In 2025, 78% of Year 6 pupils at Gurnard Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 72% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 67% and 64% in Isle of Wight and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 85% in reading and 81% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Gurnard Primary School
For September 2026 entry, 66 families put Gurnard Primary School as their first choice and 91 named it as one of their preferences, for 60 places offered. That is 1.1 first choices for every place. 6 families who put it first were not offered a place there.
Admissions history and your chances at Gurnard Primary School
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Gurnard Primary School are Lanesend Primary School (0.8 miles, Requires improvement, 58% reading, 52% maths); Northwood Primary School (1.7 miles, Good, 64% reading, 61% maths); Holy Cross Catholic Primary School (1.7 miles, Requires improvement, 65% reading, 58% maths); and Queensgate Foundation Primary (2.1 miles, Good, 77% reading, 80% maths).
Gurnard Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 3 of these 4 schools.
Lanesend Primary SchoolNorthwood Primary SchoolHoly Cross Catholic Primary SchoolQueensgate Foundation Primary
What parents say
81 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Gurnard Primary School (as of September 2025): 98% would recommend the school, 100% say their child is happy there and 72% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (100%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (72%).
Who goes there
8.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well below the average state school (25%), and 8.4% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 90 pupils (17.2%) received SEN support and 10 (1.9%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.
Staffing
Gurnard Primary School had 26 teachers in 2026, one for every 16 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
There is no railway, tram or Underground station within about three miles of Gurnard Primary School.
5 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Woodvale Road (se-bound), 100 metres away.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Gurnard Primary School issued 4 suspensions, 1 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.
Sources: DfE school performance data (averages: state mainstream schools); DfE school-level applications and offers; council admissions booklets; DfE appeals statistics; Ofsted Parent View; DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; DfE school workforce census; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Our estimate from how close the nearest similar schools are and how oversubscribed the council's schools are. It is not a published boundary.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from May 2012, 14 years ago, longer than Ofsted's usual 4-year cycle: the school may have changed since.
Overall
Quality of Education
Behaviour & Attitudes
Personal Development
Leadership & Management
Early Years
Ofsted Insights
From Ofsted's February 2025 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Gurnard Primary School excels at creating a happy, inclusive community where every child feels they belong and are valued. Your child will benefit from outstanding behaviour standards, exceptional early years care, and excellent teaching of reading. The school offers a wealth of sporting, musical and cultural activities to develop your child's talents and interests.
Key Strengths
- Exceptional behaviour and attitudes throughout the school, with pupils being polite, well-mannered, and fully engaged in learning
- Outstanding early years provision where children get off to an exceptional start to their schooling
- Reading is highly prioritised with nearly all pupils reading fluently by the end of key stage 1, and effective support for struggling readers
- Excellent personal development with many enrichment and extra-curricular opportunities available to all pupils
- Positive relationships throughout the school with strong staff wellbeing support from leaders
Areas for Improvement
- Some checks on pupil learning are not fully effective in identifying gaps in knowledge or misconceptions, meaning teachers don't always have clear information about what pupils have learned
- Occasionally, pupils with SEND are given work that is beyond their current level of understanding in some subjects
- Teachers need to build pupils' new knowledge more securely by checking understanding more effectively
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with the school creating a safe environment where pupils know staff will listen to their concerns.
Extracurricular Activities
Sporting opportunities, musical activities, cultural enrichment programmes, outdoor learning activities, young governors roles, equality and rights advocate positions
Gurnard Primary School is a welcoming primary school where pupils are extremely happy and proud to attend. The school fosters an aspirational environment with a broad and ambitious curriculum, and all groups of pupils, including those with SEND, are well supported to achieve.
At a Glance
8.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
81 responsesSource: Ofsted Parent View, responses as at September 2025 - % who strongly agree or agree
Primary Performance (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has declined from 85% to 78% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 81% to 72% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 73% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
27.4
Avg class size
27.4
Infant (KS1)
27.4
KS2
16
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Latest from Gurnard Primary School
Our Newsletter - Friday 2nd October 2026
2 Oct 2026
Our Newsletter - Friday 25th September 2026
25 Sep 2026
Our Newsletter - Friday 18th September 2026
18 Sep 2026
Our Newsletter - Friday 11th September 2026
11 Sep 2026
Our Newsletter - Friday 24th July 2026
24 Jul 2026
Our Newsletter - Friday 17th July 2026
17 Jul 2026
From Gurnard Primary School's website. School Signal is not affiliated with the school.
Social & online
Keep up with Gurnard Primary School
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Gurnard Primary School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Gurnard Primary School is in Isle of Wight; for families living there:
Apply to Isle of Wight for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 2
- Fatal
- 1
- Serious
- 0
- Children hurt
- 0
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight.
No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt.
1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Isle of Wight is 10 (the median across 51 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Your chances of a place at Gurnard Primary School
Will you get a place at Gurnard Primary School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Gurnard Primary School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Gurnard Primary School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Gurnard Primary School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Isle of Wight, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Gurnard Primary School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Isle of Wight got their first choice, and how often appeals there succeed.
- The nearest state schools to your home, with Ofsted rating, demand and last distance offered where published.
- Key dates for September 2027 entry and how to apply.
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Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
99%
Near capacity
416 pupils
420 places
4 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Cowes
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Cowes
Across Isle of Wight council
Places available
1,328
Applications
931
Got 1st preference
94.5%
Got preferred school
98.8%
All primary applications across Isle of Wight council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Oversubscribed
Inspection History(7)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
90
SEN Support
10
EHC Plans
19.2%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
522
Total Pupils
246
Boys
276
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
26
Teachers
20.1:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£45,625
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,153
Per pupil
£2286k
Total funding
£33k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
5.0%
Overall absence
11.4%
Persistent absence
378
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Secondary Schools Nearby
Secondary schools pupils are likely to move to
Gurnard Primary School
Questions parents ask about Gurnard Primary School
What are SATs results like at Gurnard Primary School?
Of the pupils at Gurnard Primary School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 78% reached the expected standard in reading and 72% did so in maths.
What is Gurnard Primary School's Ofsted rating?
Gurnard Primary School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in February 2025, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in May 2012, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Gurnard Primary School?
No fixed boundary. When Gurnard Primary School is oversubscribed, Isle of Wight allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Gurnard Primary School?
Gurnard Primary School was close to full in 2025, at 99% of its capacity.
How big are the classes at Gurnard Primary School?
Classes at Gurnard Primary School average 27.4 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Gurnard Primary School?
Gurnard Primary School has around 522 pupils on roll. 9% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Gurnard Primary School?
5% of sessions were missed at Gurnard Primary School in 2024/25. 11.4% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Gurnard Primary School?
Apply through Isle of Wight's coordinated admissions process, naming Gurnard Primary School on your application. Applications for Reception places starting in September 2027 close on Friday 15 January 2027, and offers are made on Friday 16 April 2027.
How many road collisions happen near Gurnard Primary School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 2 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: 1 fatal, 0 serious and 1 slight. No children aged 0 to 15 were among the people hurt. 1 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Isle of Wight is 10 (the median across 51 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Gurnard Primary School?
Gurnard Primary School is at Baring Road, Cowes, Isle of Wight, PO31 8DS.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)