Hayes School, Paignton
Hayes School is a primary school for pupils aged 2 to 11 in Paignton. It was rated Good at its last graded Ofsted inspection, in October 2019. Ofsted's ungraded inspection in November 2024 did not change this grade. Its 2025 Key Stage 2 results were the 3rd-highest of the 9 schools in Paignton with published results, and 4,824th of 14,452 across England. It was 78% full in 2025.
- SATs results
- Above England average
- Ofsted
- Good (2019)
- Demand
- Every first choice offered
- Attendance
- Below England average
Reception applications for September 2027 close in 80 days
Deadline Friday 15 January 2027. Apply to Torbay (the council where you live). Offers on 16 April.
Data last updated 26 Oct 2026
Hayes School in detail
Results
In 2025, 81% of Year 6 pupils at Hayes School reached the expected standard in reading and 83% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 77% and 74% in Torbay and 77% and 75% across England.
Results fell from 87% in reading and 89% in maths in 2024.
Getting a place at Hayes School
For September 2026 entry, 42 families put Hayes School as their first choice and 67 named it as one of their preferences, for 42 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other state primary schools to Hayes School are St Michael's Church of England Academy (0.3 miles, Good); Curledge Street Academy (0.5 miles, Good, 82% reading, 87% maths); Roselands Primary School (0.7 miles, Good, 75% reading, 72% maths); and Sacred Heart Catholic School (0.8 miles, Good, 77% reading, 71% maths).
Hayes School's 2025 results were higher than 2 of these 3 schools.
St Michael's Church of England AcademyCurledge Street AcademyRoselands Primary SchoolSacred Heart Catholic School
What parents say
33 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Hayes School (as of September 2025): 94% would recommend the school, 97% say their child is happy there and 73% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.
The strongest agreement was that their child is happy at the school (97%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (73%).
Who goes there
42.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.
In 2026, 82 pupils (24.1%) received SEN support and 6 (1.8%) 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
Hayes School had 23 teachers in 2026, one for every 14 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.
Getting there
The nearest tram or metro stop is Paignton (Paignton and Dartmouth Railway), about 1070 metres away (roughly a 13-minute walk).
17 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Collingwood Road (e-bound), 50 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Hayes School stands in is among the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Suspensions and exclusions
In 2024/25, Hayes School issued 7 suspensions, 1.9 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); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime; DfE exclusions statistics
Location
Every family who put it first was offered a place for 2026 entry, so distance did not limit places that year.
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Ofsted · 2 years agoThis judgement is from October 2019, 7 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 November 2024 inspection report.
What This School Does Well
Hayes School excels at supporting all pupils to achieve their best, including those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs. Behaviour across the school is exemplary, and pupils feel safe and well-supported by staff. The school has a well-established approach to reading and offers an ambitious curriculum that goes beyond national expectations.
Key Strengths
- Pupils achieve extremely well across most areas of the curriculum, which is ambitious and carefully tailored to their needs -
- Exceptional support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, who flourish during their time at the school -
- Exemplary pupil behaviour and a positive school atmosphere where pupils feel safe and valued -
- Systematic approach to teaching early reading with quick identification of pupils who need extra support -
- Strong leadership with a clear vision shared across the school and active governors championing high standards
Areas for Improvement
- Knowledge pupils need to know about different religions and cultures is not planned clearly enough, limiting their understanding of multicultural Britain
Safeguarding
Safeguarding arrangements are effective and the school has created a positive culture that puts pupils' interests first.
Extracurricular Activities
Friday enrichment programme with clubs and activities, music performances, residential visits
Hayes School is an encouraging and aspirational place where pupils thrive and achieve exceptionally well. The school has been rated Outstanding for quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management.
At a Glance
42.4%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
Yes
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
What Parents Think
33 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 87% to 81% (2024 to 2025). Maths has declined from 89% to 83% (2024 to 2025). Writing has remained stable at around 81% (2024 to 2025).
Class Sizes
18.1
Avg class size
12.6
Infant (KS1)
25.5
KS2
16
Total classes
2025/26 academic year
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby primary schools
Keep up with Hayes School
Before and after school care
Clubs on Ofsted's childcare register at or near Hayes School.
- Kinetic Sports Group - HayesAt the school · Not yet graded
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Hayes School from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Hayes School is in Torbay; for families living there:
Apply to Torbay for free school transport. Its policy is on the council's website.
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 16
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 7
- Children hurt
- 1
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 9 slight.
1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt.
3 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 Torbay is 18 (the median across 47 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 Hayes School
Will you get a place at Hayes School? Get the admissions report
Your home postcode, set against Hayes School's admissions figures, in one report saved to your account.
What the report includes for Hayes School:
- The straight-line distance from your home to Hayes School.
- We hold no last distance offered figures from Torbay, so the report covers demand, alternatives and dates.
- Applications, first choices and offers at Hayes School for 2014 to 2026 entry.
- How many families in Torbay 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.
£9.99 once
One school, inc. VAT. Or £19.99 for up to three schools.
Pro £9 a month, every report included, cancel any time
A report for any school, plus everything else in Pro.
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
78%
Available places
327 pupils
420 places
93 spare places in 2025
2025, DfE school capacity data
Area Demand Pressure - Paignton
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Paignton
Across Torbay council
Places available
1,357
Applications
1,000
Got 1st preference
94.2%
Got preferred school
98.9%
All primary applications across Torbay council (2026/27), not just this school.
This school: Every first choice offered
Inspection History(4)
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
82
SEN Support
6
EHC Plans
25.9%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
340
Total Pupils
192
Boys
148
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
23
Teachers
14.8:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£47,788
Mean salary
2026 data
School Funding
£5,655
Per pupil
£2139k
Total funding
£198k
Pupil premium
2025-26 financial year allocations
Pupil Absence2024/25
7.1%
Overall absence
22.9%
Persistent absence
314
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
Hayes School
Questions parents ask about Hayes School
What are SATs results like at Hayes School?
Of the pupils at Hayes School who took the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments, 81% reached the expected standard in reading and 83% did so in maths.
What is Hayes School's Ofsted rating?
Hayes School's most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2024, was ungraded, so it gave no overall grade. At its last graded inspection, in October 2019, it was rated Good.
What is the catchment area for Hayes School?
No fixed boundary. When Hayes School is oversubscribed, Torbay allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
Is it hard to get a place at Hayes School?
Hayes School was not full in 2025: it ran at 78% of its 420 places.
How big are the classes at Hayes School?
Classes at Hayes School average 18.1 pupils (2025/26).
How many pupils go to Hayes School?
Hayes School has around 340 pupils on roll. 42% are eligible for free school meals.
What is attendance like at Hayes School?
7.1% of sessions were missed at Hayes School in 2024/25. 22.9% of pupils were persistently absent (missing 10% or more of sessions).
How do I apply to Hayes School?
Apply through Torbay's coordinated admissions process, naming Hayes 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.
Does Hayes School have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Ofsted's childcare register lists an out-of-school club at the school: Kinetic Sports Group - Hayes (registered, not yet graded). The school may also run its own clubs, which don't have to register with Ofsted.
How many road collisions happen near Hayes School?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 16 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 7 serious and 9 slight. 1 child aged 0 to 15 was hurt. 3 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 Torbay is 18 (the median across 47 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Hayes School?
Hayes School is at Hayes Road, Paignton, Devon, TQ4 5PJ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)