The Hayes Primary School

About The Hayes Primary School

The Hayes Primary School sits within the Croydon local authority, a large London borough home to 88 primary schools. Among these, the school ranks 40th, placing it comfortably in the top half of its peers. The top three performers in the borough are Heathfield Academy, St John's CofE Primary School, and Applegarth Academy, all of which score higher on the same ranking metric. For families considering alternatives, the nearest school rated Outstanding by Ofsted is Harris Primary Academy Kenley, just 1.1 kilometres away. The Hayes itself holds a Good rating from its most recent inspection in 2023, a grade it has maintained consistently across both its recent inspections, with the previous one in 2013 also awarding Good. Headteacher Laura Olley leads a school of 416 pupils, operating very close to its capacity of 420, which reflects its popularity among local families.

Academically, The Hayes performs above the Croydon average at Key Stage 2. In the 2023/24 results, 69% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, compared with the local authority average of 66%. The school's strongest subject is reading, where 86% met expectations and 36% achieved the higher standard. In maths, 81% met expectations and 24% reached the higher level, with an average scaled score of 106. Writing saw 83% at expected and 19% at the higher standard. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher standard across all three subjects was 14%. The school's ranking places it in the top 50% of primaries nationally, at the 34th percentile, and in the top 53% within London. The Ofsted inspection rated all areas as Good, including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision.

The school is oversubscribed for the 2025/26 intake, with 235 applications for 60 places, a ratio of nearly four applicants per place. Of those, 88 put the school as their first preference, and 55 first-preference offers were made. The Hayes offers a range of facilities including a dining hall, playing fields, an ICT suite, a gymnasium, and a chapel. Sports provision covers cricket, gymnastics, dance, athletics, football, and cross country, while clubs include gardening, eco club, and chess. The school supports pupils with a variety of special educational needs, including specific learning difficulties like dyslexia, moderate learning difficulty, social, emotional and mental health needs, speech, language and communication needs, physical disability, and other difficulties. With a relatively low percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals at 6.3%, this is a well-regarded local option for families seeking a solid, Good-rated primary within Croydon.

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