Hayes School

Hayes School is a primary academy converter in a single academy trust, inspected in November 2024 in its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspectors found a highly aspirational and encouraging school where pupils thrive, behaviour is exemplary and leadership is deeply committed to high-quality education for all. The quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management were judged outstanding, while personal development and early years provision were good. There is no overall effectiveness grade under the current inspection framework. The school’s curriculum is ambitious, clear and coherent, and pupils achieve extremely well, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Support for disadvantaged pupils is exceptional, pupils with SEND are identified quickly and advocated for strongly, and early reading is taught systematically with precise catch-up support. Early years staff are experts in child development, pupils are highly engaged and proud of their school, and a wide enrichment programme including music and residential visits adds depth to school life. The main area for improvement is the planning of pupils’ knowledge about religions and cultures. This is not clear enough, so pupils do not yet have a sound understanding of different faiths and cultures or multicultural Britain. Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Strengths

• Ambitious, clear and coherent curriculum that exceeds national curriculum expectations
• Pupils achieve exceptionally well across most areas, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND
• Exceptional support for disadvantaged pupils so they are fully involved in school life
• Quick identification of SEND and strong advocacy for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities
• Expert early years staff who know children’s interests and needs and help them learn routines
• Well-established, systematic approach to early reading with precise catch-up support
• Exemplary pupil behaviour and highly engaged, supportive learners
• Strong relationships between pupils and staff that help pupils feel safe and secure
• Effective safeguarding arrangements and an open, positive safeguarding culture
• Wide enrichment programme, including music performances and residential visits
• Pupil leaders and reading ambassadors act as excellent role models
• Strong, united vision with committed leadership and active governance

Areas for Improvement

• Planning for the knowledge pupils need about religions and cultures is not clear enough, limiting their understanding of different faiths and multicultural Britain

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Hayes School attended 92.9% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 22.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.7% of pupils at Hayes School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Hayes School had 16.8 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 5.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 24.1% of pupils at Hayes School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Hayes School received £6,999 and spent £7,166 for each of its 360 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £570,000 (£1,586 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Paignton · Torbay local authority: places and applications

What is Hayes School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Hayes School is Good, from an inspection in January 2025.

When was Hayes School last inspected by Ofsted?

Hayes School was last inspected in January 2025.

How many pupils does Hayes School have?

Hayes School has 340 pupils on roll.

What age range does Hayes School cover?

Hayes School for pupils aged 2 to 11.

What are Hayes School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 79% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Hayes School?

Hayes School is at Hayes Road, Paignton, Devon, TQ4 5PJ.