Freshwater & Yarmouth Church of England Aided Primary School

About Freshwater & Yarmouth Church of England Aided Primary School

Freshwater & Yarmouth Church of England Aided Primary School is a popular choice among Isle of Wight families, and the numbers back that up. For the 2025/26 intake, the school received 35 applications for 28 places, giving it an oversubscription ratio of 1.25. Every one of those 28 first-preference applicants was offered a spot, which suggests that while demand is healthy, most families who put it first do get in. The school is currently home to 176 pupils, which is above its stated capacity of 140, so it’s clearly a school that local parents trust. It’s a state-funded, mixed primary for ages 2 to 11 with a Church of England character, and it’s led by headteacher Elizabeth Grainger. The most recent Ofsted inspection, an ungraded visit in 2023, confirmed that the school remains Good, a notable improvement from its previous graded inspection in 2013, when it was rated Requires Improvement. Leadership and management were also judged Good.

Academically, the school performs well above the local average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 64% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with an Isle of Wight average of just 52%. That places Freshwater & Yarmouth 7th out of 35 primary schools in the local authority, putting it in the top 20% of the area. Reading scores are a particular strength: the average reading score was 108, and 41% of pupils achieved the higher standard. Maths was also solid, with an average score of 104 and 23% reaching the higher threshold. Writing was more modest, with only 9% hitting the higher standard. The school doesn’t have published progress scores for any subject, so it’s hard to say how much value it adds relative to pupils’ starting points, but the raw outcomes are clearly strong for the area.

The school offers a good range of facilities for a primary of its size, including a sports hall, ICT suite, playing fields, an outdoor playground, a sensory room and a chapel. Sports provision is broad, with cricket, rounders, netball, dance, football, swimming and gymnastics all on offer, plus clubs like chess, art and coding. For families with children who have additional needs, the school lists support for specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech and language issues, visual impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. With 31.3% of pupils eligible for free school meals, the school serves a relatively disadvantaged intake compared with the national average. It’s a good fit for families who want a community-focused, Church of England primary with strong academic results and a clear track record of improvement.

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