Gatten and Lake Primary School

About Gatten and Lake Primary School

Gatten and Lake Primary School is a mixed state primary on the Isle of Wight that is currently running very close to its full capacity of 210 pupils, with 204 children on roll. The school serves a community with a notably high proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals — 27.9 per cent, which is well above the national average for primary schools and suggests a significant level of disadvantage in the intake. Demand for places is strong: for the 2025/26 academic year, the school received 54 applications for just 26 places, with 22 of those coming as first preferences. That works out at just over two applicants per place, and the school was officially oversubscribed. The headteacher is Rebecca Day, and the school has no religious character or nursery provision.

Academically, Gatten and Lake performs well above the local authority average. In the 2023/24 Key Stage 2 assessments, 66 per cent of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with an Isle of Wight average of just 52 per cent. That places the school 6th out of 35 primary schools in the local authority, putting it in the top 20 per cent of its peers. In reading, the average scaled score was 106, and 83 per cent of pupils met the expected standard, with 31 per cent reaching the higher standard. Maths followed a similar pattern: an average score of 104, 83 per cent at expected and 21 per cent at the higher level. Writing also saw 83 per cent at expected, though only 14 per cent reached the higher threshold. The school’s most recent Ofsted inspection, in November 2022, rated it Good across every category — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision — a consistent improvement from its previous Good rating in 2013.

The school offers a solid range of facilities for a primary of its size, including a sensory room, music rooms, an ICT suite, a gymnasium and an outdoor playground. Sports provision covers football, rounders, cricket, tennis and gymnastics, while clubs include chess, art and science. The SEND provision is comprehensive, with support for specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs, social and emotional mental health needs, visual impairment and autistic spectrum disorder. With its strong academic results relative to the local area and clear oversubscription, this is a school that suits families who prioritise solid core subject outcomes and want a well-resourced, inclusive setting within a community that has higher-than-average levels of disadvantage. The lack of nursery provision means children typically join in Reception.

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