Downton CofE VA Primary School
General Information
- Address: Gravel Close, Downton, Salisbury, SP5 3LZ – View on map
- Phone: 01725510556
- Website: Visit school website
- Headteacher: Mrs Paula Carlton
- Age range: 4-11 years
- Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 32 families put it first for 30 places – 11 for every 10 places. 94% of them were offered a place. 1 of the 30 places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 10 · 2024 10 · 2025 10 · 2026 11
- Sixth form: No
- Intake: Mixed
- Religious character: Church of England
- Nursery provision: No
Who goes here
- Pupils eligible for free school meals: 30
- % eligible for free school meals: 11.0%
- Pupil mix: 2 in 10 (less mixed than the Wiltshire average)
- English as an additional language: 1% (England 22%)
Staff
Teachers leaving each year
- Teacher turnover: 20.9% a year (Wiltshire 17.3%, typical in England 13.9%)
- Where they went: about 55% moved to another school, 45% left state schools altogether (retirement, other careers, independent schools, abroad)
- Data years: 2022/23 to 2024/25 (average of 3 years, DfE school workforce census)
Teachers who moved school or left state schools in the year after each November, as a share of all the school's teachers. Some turnover is healthy – retirements, promotions, moving house.
Behaviour
Awaiting Data
Across Wiltshire: suspensions by reason
- Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 6 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
- Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
- Suspensions for bullying: 6 (0.2 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
- Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 2 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.0)
- Data year: 2024/25 (DfE suspensions and exclusions statistics)
These are figures for all state primary schools in Wiltshire, not this school's own – the government doesn't publish them school by school. A suspension can have up to three reasons. Most sexual harassment between pupils never leads to a suspension, so these figures show only part of the picture.
Attendance
- Overall absence: 4.4%
- Persistently absent pupils: 7.2%
- Data year: 2024/25
SEN
No dedicated Unit or Resourced Provision
- Pupils on SEN Support: 12.1%
- Pupils with an EHC Plan: 2.6%
- Data year: 2025/26
Most common needs - SEN Support
- Speech, language and communications needs: 12 pupils
- Social, emotional and mental health: 8 pupils
- Moderate learning difficulty: 6 pupils
- Specific learning difficulty: 3 pupils
- Physical disability: 1 pupil
Most common needs - EHC Plan
- Speech, language and communications needs: 4 pupils
- Social, emotional and mental health: 2 pupils
- Severe learning difficulty: 1 pupil
These figures show the makeup of the school.
Educational Attainment
Good 2020 report
Year 6 SATs results
- Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 69% (England 62%)
- Reached the higher standard: 7% (England 8%)
- Compared with the area: 10 percentage points above the Wiltshire average (59%)
- Compared with schools with similar pupils: Above (3-year average 71% against an expected 65%)
- 3-year average (expected standard): 71%
- Expected standard by subject: Reading 84% · Writing 76% · Maths 82% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 82%
- Average test scores: reading 109, maths 106
- Based on: 45 Year 6 pupils, 2024/25
View the School Context Comparator – how this school's SATs results compare with schools teaching similar pupils.
SATs results over time
Year 6 SATs: joint 48th of 174 junior and primary schools in the area
- =44Kennet Valley Church of England Aided Primary School70%
- =44St Mark's CofE Junior School, Salisbury70%
- =48Downton CofE VA Primary School69%
- =48Great Bedwyn Church of England School69%
- =48Salisbury, Manor Fields Primary School69%
Click to see the full ranking
View full Ofsted inspection report
36th of 143 primary schools in Wiltshire for Ofsted rating
- #34Dauntsey Academy Primary SchoolGood
- #35Dilton Marsh CofE Primary SchoolGood
- #36Downton CofE VA Primary SchoolGood
- #37Easton Royal AcademyGood
- #38Fitzmaurice Primary SchoolGood
Click to see the full ranking
Financials
Spending per pupil: £6,070 (2024-25)
138th of 184 primary schools in Wiltshire for spending per pupil
- #136Fynamore Primary School£6,087
- #137The Grove Primary School£6,071
- #138Downton CofE VA Primary School£6,070
- #139Ashton Keynes Church of England Primary School£6,054
- #140Dilton Marsh CofE Primary School£6,043
Click to see the full ranking
View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)