Find the best primary schools in Isle of Wight. Compare Ofsted ratings, catchment areas and parent reviews.
Isle of Wight has 37 primary schools, all in Isle of Wight council's area. Most state schools here offer places by distance from home once children in care and siblings of current pupils have been admitted, so how close you live decides your chances at any school with more applicants than places. Some councils draw a fixed catchment boundary instead, and the distance at which the last place went changes every year. Of the 37, 16 are faith schools that can put children of their faith first, so distance counts for less there.
Use the distance checker to measure your home's straight-line distance to any Isle of Wight primary school, and each school's page for its Ofsted report, results and admissions details. Check your distance to a school or try the admissions calculator.
| School | Type | Our rating |
|---|---|---|
| Shalfleet Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 4.3 / 5 |
| Nine Acres Primary School | Mixed | 4.1 / 5 |
| Dover Park Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Nettlestone Primary School | Mixed | 4.0 / 5 |
| Arreton St George's Church of England (Aided) Primary School | Church of England | 3.8 / 5 |
| Niton Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Gurnard Primary School | Mixed | 3.7 / 5 |
| Newchurch Primary School | Mixed |
There are 37 primary schools in Isle of Wight. Of those, 1 is an all-through school, teaching both primary and secondary years.
Apply by 15 January for a Reception place starting that September. Children start Reception in the September after their fourth birthday. You apply to the council where you live, even if the school is in another council's area, and can usually list between 3 and 6 schools in order of preference. Offers are sent on 16 April, or the next working day.
Of the 37 primary schools in Isle of Wight, 16 have a religious character: 11 Church of England, 4 Roman Catholic and 1 Church of England/Roman Catholic. When a faith school has more applicants than places, it can give priority to children of its faith. Many ask for a supplementary form, sometimes signed by a religious leader, so read the school's admissions policy before you apply.
On our star rating, the highest rated are Shalfleet Church of England Primary School (4.3), Nine Acres Primary School (4.1), Dover Park Primary School (4.0), Nettlestone Primary School (4.0) and Arreton St George's Church of England (Aided) Primary School (3.8). The rating is our own, out of 5. It combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and SATs results, with the parent survey carrying the most weight. Of the 37 schools here, 36 have enough published data for a rating.
| 3.7 / 5 |
| Newport Church of England Aided Primary School | Church of England | 3.7 / 5 |
| Carisbrooke Church of England Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 3.6 / 5 |
| Binstead Primary School | Mixed | 3.6 / 5 |
| Queensgate Foundation Primary | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Gatten and Lake Primary School | Mixed | 3.5 / 5 |
| Summerfields Primary School | Mixed | 3.4 / 5 |
| Northwood Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| St Helens Primary School | Mixed | 3.3 / 5 |
| St Mary's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 3.3 / 5 |
| Brighstone Church of England Aided Primary School | Church of England | 3.3 / 5 |
| St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 3.3 / 5 |
| The Bay Church of England School | Church of England, all-through | 3.3 / 5 |
| Wootton Community Primary School | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Godshill Primary School | Mixed | 3.2 / 5 |
| Freshwater & Yarmouth Church of England Aided Primary School | Church of England | 3.1 / 5 |
| Oakfield Church of England Aided Primary School, Ryde | Church of England | 3.0 / 5 |
| Bembridge Church of England Primary School | Church of England | 2.9 / 5 |
| Brading Church of England Controlled Primary School | Church of England | 2.8 / 5 |
| Holy Cross Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 2.8 / 5 |
| St Francis Catholic and Church of England Primary Academy | Church of England/Roman Catholic | 2.8 / 5 |
| Barton Primary School | Mixed | 2.7 / 5 |
| Haylands Primary School | Mixed | 2.7 / 5 |
| Wroxall Primary School | Mixed | 2.7 / 5 |
| St Blasius Shanklin CofE Primary Academy | Church of England | 2.5 / 5 |
| St Saviour's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 2.5 / 5 |
| Lanesend Primary School | Mixed | 2.3 / 5 |
| Greenmount Primary School | Mixed | 2.1 / 5 |
| Broadlea Primary School | Mixed | 1.1 / 5 |
| Hunnyhill Ormiston Academy | Mixed | Not yet rated |
Our rating is out of 5 and combines Parent View survey results, the latest Ofsted inspection and published results. Source: Department for Education (GIAS) and Ofsted.
Only when you qualify for more than one school. Each school ranks applicants against its own admission criteria without knowing where you placed it. If you qualify for several, the council offers the one you ranked highest, so putting a popular school first does not lower your chances at your second choice.
No. Distance only matters when a school has more applicants than places, and then it offers places in the order its admission criteria set out. Children in care or adopted from care come first by law. Most schools put brothers and sisters of current pupils next, then distance or catchment area. Faith schools and grammar schools use different criteria. How far away the last place went changes every year, depending on who applies.
The council offers a place at another school with room, which may be further from home. You can accept it and still join the waiting lists for the schools you preferred. Waiting lists are ranked by the admission criteria, not by how long a child has been on them. You can also appeal to an independent panel for any school that refused you. Appeals for Reception to Year 2 rarely succeed, because infant classes are limited to 30 pupils by law and a panel can only admit above that limit in narrow circumstances.