Willowdown Primary School

Somerset · TA6 4FU

General information Primary School · 2-11 years Who goes here 361 pupils, 22.6% FSM

Educational attainment Ofsted report card

Parent score Rate this school No reviews yet - be the first SEN Resourced provision · 12.7% on SEN support Behaviour 7.0% absence rate Staff 44.3% turnover Financials £6,251 per pupil Environment Buildings and facilities

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Willowdown Primary School

General Information

Address: Kings Drive, Bridgwater, TA6 4FU – View on map
Phone: 01278558758
Website: Visit school website
Headteacher: Mrs Katie Sharp
Age range: 2-11 years
Demand for places (Reception, September 2026): 37 families put it first for 42 places – 9 for every 10 places. Every one of them was offered a place. No places went to families living outside the council area. Children putting it first, for every 10 places: 2023 10 · 2024 10 · 2025 9 · 2026 9
Sixth form: No
Intake: Mixed
Religious character: None
Nursery provision: Yes

Who goes here

361 pupils out of 420 places

Pupils eligible for free school meals: 79
% eligible for free school meals: 22.6%
Pupil mix: 6 in 10 (more mixed than the Somerset average)
English as an additional language: 35% (England 22%)

Staff

Teachers leaving each year

Teacher turnover: 44.3% a year (Somerset 17.3%, typical in England 13.9%)
Where they went: about 66% moved to another school, 34% 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

About this Behaviour status

We've asked this school for real behaviour figures under Freedom of Information and haven't had a response yet.

Across Somerset: suspensions by reason

Suspensions for sexual misconduct: 2 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Permanent exclusions for sexual misconduct: 0
Suspensions for bullying: 5 (0.1 per 1,000 pupils; England 0.2)
Suspensions for abuse against sexual orientation or gender identity: 1 (0.0 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 Somerset, 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: 7.0%
Persistently absent pupils: 21.2%
Data year: 2024/25

About persistent absence

A pupil is counted as "persistently absent" if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions - roughly one day in every two weeks. Schools and Ofsted both pay close attention to this figure specifically, since it can highlight a pattern the overall absence rate alone might hide.

SEN

Resourced provision for Social, emotional and mental health 16 places · 16 pupils at the last count

Places are usually for children with an EHC Plan and are arranged through the council, not the normal school application.

Pupils on SEN Support: 12.7%
Pupils with an EHC Plan: 1.7%
Data year: 2025/26

Most common needs - SEN Support

Social, emotional and mental health: 21 pupils
Speech, language and communications needs: 14 pupils
Moderate learning difficulty: 9 pupils
Autistic spectrum disorder: 1 pupil
SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need: 1 pupil

Most common needs - EHC Plan

Speech, language and communications needs: 4 pupils
Social, emotional and mental health: 2 pupils

These figures show the makeup of the school.

About these SEND figures

These figures give a sense of the makeup of the school - they aren't a judgement on the quality of support provided.

Parent score - no reviews yet –

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Behaviour

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Openness

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Teaching Quality

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School Ethos

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Ability to Deal with Problems

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Headteacher Approval

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SafeguardingSafeguarding (parent rating)How parents rate the school on keeping children safe - how safe their child feels, and how well concerns are listened to and acted on. It's parents' experience, not an inspection result; Ofsted checks safeguarding separately.

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Wraparound CareWraparound Care (parent rating)How parents rate the school's breakfast and after-school clubs - availability, cost and quality. Only asked for infant, junior and primary schools, where it matters most for working parents.

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Would recommend –

Educational Attainment

Ofsted report card January 2026

Ofsted's new report cards grade each part of school life separately, instead of giving one overall word.

Safeguarding Met
Inclusion Strong standard
Curriculum and teaching Expected standard
Achievement Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard
Early years Expected standard
Leadership and governance Strong standard

Before this, under the old system, Ofsted rated the school Requires improvement (2023). The report card above replaces that grade.

How Ofsted report cards work

Since November 2025, Ofsted grades each area of a school on its own five-point scale, and no longer gives a single word like “Good” or “Outstanding”. Safeguarding (keeping children safe) is simply met or not met.

Exceptional The very best practice nationally
Strong standard Above what Ofsted expects
Expected standard What Ofsted expects of every school
Needs attention Some weaknesses the school needs to fix
Urgent improvement Serious weaknesses needing urgent action

“Expected standard” is a sound result – it's what Ofsted expects a good school to do. Report cards aren't directly comparable with the old single grades, which is why we don't turn them into one.

Year 6 SATs results

Met the expected standard in reading, writing & maths: 66% (England 62%)
Reached the higher standard: 3% (England 8%)
Compared with the area: 7 percentage points above the Somerset average (59%)
Compared with schools with similar pupils: Below (3-year average 55% against an expected 63%)
3-year average (expected standard): 55%
Expected standard by subject: Reading 69% · Writing 81% · Maths 78% · Grammar, punctuation & spelling 69%
Average test scores: reading 104, maths 104
Based on: 32 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

This schoolSomerset averageEngland↗ Improving Up 27 percentage points since 2022/23. In 2024/25 this school was 7 percentage points above the Somerset average (59%).

Year 6 SATs: joint 54th of 149 junior and primary schools in the area

=54Parkfield Primary School66%
=54St Joseph's Catholic Primary and Nursery School66%
=54Willowdown Primary School66%
=57Holy Trinity Church School65%
=57South Petherton Junior School65%

Click to see the full ranking

Year 6 SATs ranking

Junior and primary schools in this area, ranked by the % of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (official DfE results, 2024/25). Schools with the same result share a place (shown as =). In small schools one or two children can move a school several places, so treat close positions as roughly equal.

Rank School Score

#1Stoke St Gregory Church of England Primary School100%
=2Huish Episcopi Primary School93%
=2Preston CofE Primary School93%
#4Kingfisher Primary School91%
#5North Cadbury Church of England Primary School90%
=6Countess Gytha Primary School86%
=6Stogumber CofE Primary School86%
#8Hambridge Community Primary School83%
=9Brent Knoll Church of England Primary School82%
=9Trull Church of England VA Primary School82%
=11Ash Church of England Primary School81%
=11Walton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School81%
#13Ditcheat Primary School80%
=14North Curry CofE Primary School79%
=14Northgate Primary School79%
=14Puriton Primary School79%
#17Stawley Primary School78%
=18High Ham Church of England Primary School77%
=18Meare Village Primary School77%
=20Bishops Hull Primary School76%
=20Neroche Primary School76%
=20Thurlbear Church of England Primary School76%
=23All Saints Church School75%
=23Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School75%
=23Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton75%
=23Crowcombe CofE VA Primary School75%
=23Manor Court Community Primary School75%
=23St. Michael's Academy75%
=29Somerset Bridge Primary School73%
=29St Gildas Catholic Primary School73%
=31Kingsmoor Primary School72%
=31St Mary's Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School72%
=31St Vigor & St John Church School72%
=34Blackbrook Primary School71%
=34Bruton Primary School71%
=34Buckland St Mary Church of England Primary School71%
=34Cannington Church of England Primary School71%
=34Cheddon Fitzpaine Church School71%
=34Keinton Mandeville Primary School71%
=34Upton Noble CofE VC Primary School71%
=41North Petherton Primary School69%
=41Primrose Lane Primary School69%
=43Castle Cary Community Primary School68%
=43Enmore Church of England Primary School68%
=45Ashill Community Primary School67%
=45Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School67%
=45Curry Rivel Church of England VC Primary School67%
=45Eastover Primary School67%
=45Huish Primary School67%
=45Kingsbury Episcopi Primary School67%
=45Long Sutton CofE Primary School67%
=45Minerva Primary School67%
=45The Redstart Primary School67%
=54Parkfield Primary School66%
=54St Joseph's Catholic Primary and Nursery School66%
=54Willowdown Primary School66%
=57Holy Trinity Church School65%
=57South Petherton Junior School65%
=57St Joseph and St Teresa Catholic Primary School65%
=57St Margaret's School, Tintinhull65%
=61Abbas and Templecombe Church School64%
=61North Newton Community Primary School64%
=61St Aldhelms Church School64%
=61St Bartholomew's Church of England Primary School64%
=65Churchstanton Primary School63%
=65East Coker Community Primary School63%
=65St George's Catholic School63%
=65Staplegrove Church School63%
=69Ruishton Church of England School62%
=69West Pennard Church of England Primary School62%
=71Oaklands Primary School61%
=71Tatworth Primary School61%
=73Catcott Primary School60%
=73Chewton Mendip Church of England VA Primary School60%
=73Hinton St George Church of England Primary School60%
=73Milverton Community Primary School and Pre-School60%
=73Rockwell Green Church of England Primary School60%
=73West Buckland Primary School60%
=73West Monkton Church of England School60%
=73Wiveliscombe Primary School60%
=81Birchfield Community Primary School59%
=81Chilthorne Domer Church School59%
=81Dulverton Junior School59%
=81Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Primary59%
=81Wellesley Park Primary School59%
=81Westover Green Community School and Autism Centre59%
=87Charlton Mackrell CofE Primary School58%
=87North Town Academy58%
=89Avanti Park School57%
=89Beech Grove Primary School57%
=89Horrington Primary School57%
=89Lyngford Park Primary School57%
=89Norton Sub Hamdon Church School57%
=89Pawlett Primary School Academy57%
=89Sampford Arundel Community Primary School57%
=89St Benedict's Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School57%
=89St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Henstridge57%
=98St John and St Francis Church School56%
=98St Paul's Church of England VC Junior School56%
#100Wincanton Primary School55%
=101Berrow Primary Church Academy54%
=101St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Bridgwater54%
=103Milford Junior School53%
=103Nerrols Primary School and Nursery53%
=103Nether Stowey Church of England Primary School53%
=103Norton Fitzwarren Church School53%
=103Oakhill Church School53%
=103Woolavington Village Primary School53%
=109Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School52%
=109St John's Church of England Primary School52%
=109St Louis Catholic Primary School, Frome52%
=112Ashcott Primary School50%
=112Ashlands Church of England Primary School50%
=112Castle Primary School50%
=112Coxley Primary School50%
=112Hemington Primary School50%
=112Horsington Church School50%
=112Westonzoyland Community Primary School50%
=119Hamp Academy49%
=119St James Church School49%
#121Brookside Community Primary School48%
#122St Andrew's Church School47%
#123Avishayes Community Primary School46%
=124Herne View Church of England Primary45%
=124Kingston St Mary Church of England Primary School45%
=124West Huntspill Primary Academy45%
=127Cotford St Luke Primary School44%
=127Otterhampton Primary School44%
=127Priorswood Primary School44%
=127Wellsprings Primary School44%
=127Wembdon St George's Church School44%
=132Haselbury Plucknett Church of England Primary School43%
=132Shepton Beauchamp Church School43%
#134Bishops Lydeard Church School42%
=135Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School40%
=135Oake, Bradford and Nynehead VC Primary40%
#137Holway Park Community Primary School39%
#138Wookey Primary School38%
=139Creech St Michael Church of England Primary School36%
=139Spaxton CofE Primary School36%
=139Stogursey Church of England Primary School36%
#142Stoke St Michael Primary School33%
#143King Ina Church of England Academy32%
#144Merriott Primary School30%
=145Churchfield Church School29%
=145East Huntspill Primary Academy29%
#147Bridgwater College Academy25%
#148Langford Budville Church of England Primary School13%
#149Barwick and Stoford Community Primary School9%

View full Ofsted inspection report

Financials

Spending per pupil: £6,251 (2024-25)

About this spending figure

A higher or lower position here isn't a sign of a better or worse school - schools have different needs and circumstances - but it can help reassure you that a school has sufficient funding behind your child's education.

142nd of 185 primary schools in Somerset for spending per pupil

#140Leigh On Mendip School£6,290
#141Othery Village School£6,277
#142Willowdown Primary School£6,251
#143Neroche Primary School£6,220
#144Lyngford Park Primary School£6,213

Click to see the full ranking

Spending Per Pupil ranking

Based on official DfE financial return data (Consistent Financial Reporting / Academies Accounts Return) - not a ranking of school quality.

Rank School Score

#1Middlezoy Primary School£36,875
#2Exford Church of England First School£31,923
#3Langford Budville Church of England Primary School£22,547
#4West Coker CofE VC Primary School£19,094
#5Timberscombe Church of England First School£15,964
#6Shepton Beauchamp Church School£14,042
#7Hatch Beauchamp Church of England Primary School£13,434
#8Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School£12,892
#9Lovington Church of England Primary School£12,828
#10Winsham Primary School£12,154
#11Christ Church First School£12,149
#12Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Primary£11,641
#13Stawley Primary School£11,600
#14Stoke St Michael Primary School£11,398
#15Stogursey Church of England Primary School£11,371
#16West Chinnock Church School£11,317
#17Curry Mallet Church of England Primary School£11,224
#18Cutcombe Church of England First School£11,088
#19Knights Templar Community Church School & Nursery£11,039
#20Sampford Arundel Community Primary School£11,013
#21Merriott Primary School£11,000
#22St Mary's & St Peter's Church School£10,789
#23Barwick and Stoford Community Primary School£10,779
#24Orchard Grove Primary School£10,772
#25St Peter's Church of England First School£10,465
#26Dunster First School£10,325
#27Wookey Primary School£10,230
#28St Lawrence's CofE Primary School£10,136
#29Spaxton CofE Primary School£9,979
#30Croscombe Church of England Primary School£9,850
#31East Brent Church of England First School£9,845
#32St Dubricius Church of England VA School£9,757
#33Crowcombe CofE VA Primary School£9,739
#34Shipham Church of England First School£9,288
#35Pawlett Primary School Academy£9,222
#36East Huntspill Primary Academy£9,185
#37Charlton Mackrell CofE Primary School£9,158
#38Buckland St Mary Church of England Primary School£9,025
#39Oake, Bradford and Nynehead VC Primary£9,000
#40St Nicholas CofE Primary School, Henstridge£8,883
#41Long Sutton CofE Primary School£8,870
#42Rode Methodist VC First School£8,853
#43Berkley Church of England First School£8,812
#44Minerva Primary School£8,761
#45Meare Village Primary School£8,683
#46West Huntspill Primary Academy£8,657
#47Holway Park Community Primary School£8,652
#48Curry Rivel Church of England VC Primary School£8,633
#49Hemington Primary School£8,561
#50Nunney First School£8,521
#51Wiveliscombe Primary School£8,502
#52Hinton St George Church of England Primary School£8,458
#53Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School£8,430
#54Berrow Primary Church Academy£8,399
#55Churchstanton Primary School£8,341
#56Coxley Primary School£8,336
#57Stoke St Gregory Church of England Primary School£8,279
#58Milverton Community Primary School and Pre-School£8,266
#59Draycott & Rodney Stoke Church of England First School£8,043
#60Ashill Community Primary School£8,024
#61St Margaret's School, Tintinhull£8,015
#62Mells Church First School£7,966
#63Cannington Church of England Primary School£7,961
#64Vallis First School£7,959
#65Oaklands Primary School£7,913
#66St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided First School, Frome£7,890
#67Ashcott Primary School£7,806
#68North Newton Community Primary School£7,786
#69Woolavington Village Primary School£7,774
#70Rockwell Green Church of England Primary School£7,755
#71Kilmersdon Church School£7,697
#72Combe St Nicholas Church of England VA Primary School£7,641
#73Kingsbury Episcopi Primary School£7,612
#74Avishayes Community Primary School£7,565
#75Mark First and Pre-School CE Academy£7,455
#76St Vigor & St John Church School£7,421
#77Cotford St Luke Primary School£7,357
#78Catcott Primary School£7,351
#79Churchfield Church School£7,346
#80Herne View Church of England Primary£7,323
#81Beech Grove Primary School£7,315
#82Chewton Mendip Church of England VA Primary School£7,313
#83Bruton Primary School£7,304
#84Westover Green Community School and Autism Centre£7,289
#85Northgate Primary School£7,233
#86Birchfield Community Primary School£7,228
#87Castle Primary School£7,208
#88Norton Sub Hamdon Church School£7,200
#89Somerset Bridge Primary School£7,199
#90Horrington Primary School£7,175
#91Oakhill Church School£7,172
#92Ash Church of England Primary School£7,157
#93Chilthorne Domer Church School£7,151
#94Wellsprings Primary School£7,138
#95Keinton Mandeville Primary School£7,056
#96North Cadbury Church of England Primary School£7,051
#97Primrose Lane Primary School£7,051
#98St John's Church of England Primary School£7,043
#99Kingston St Mary Church of England Primary School£7,025
#100West Buckland Primary School£7,013
#101Lympsham Church of England Academy£7,000
#102Ashlands Church of England Primary School£6,982
#103North Curry CofE Primary School£6,910
#104St Joseph and St Teresa Catholic Primary School£6,865
#105Abbas and Templecombe Church School£6,856
#106Kingsmoor Primary School£6,828
#107Beckington Church First School£6,813
#108Nerrols Primary School and Nursery£6,812
#109Westonzoyland Community Primary School£6,752
#110Horsington Church School£6,742
#111All Saints Church School£6,734
#112St Bartholomew's Church of England Primary School£6,723
#113Old Cleeve Church of England First School£6,713
#114Nether Stowey Church of England Primary School£6,685
#115Minehead First School£6,669
#116Eastover Primary School£6,663
#117Kingfisher Primary School£6,600
#118Countess Gytha Primary School£6,556
#119North Petherton Primary School£6,553
#120Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School£6,538
#121Huish Episcopi Primary School£6,520
#122East Coker Community Primary School£6,510
#123Hambridge Community Primary School£6,504
#124St Louis Catholic Primary School, Frome£6,484
#125Weare Academy First School£6,479
#126Creech St Michael Church of England Primary School£6,479
#127Bishops Hull Primary School£6,470
#128St Michael's Church of England First School£6,466
#129St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Bridgwater£6,431
#130Wincanton Primary School£6,424
#131Tatworth Primary School£6,423
#132Thurlbear Church of England Primary School£6,406
#133Parkfield Primary School£6,397
#134Enmore Church of England Primary School£6,390
#135Bishops Lydeard Church School£6,386
#136Wellesley Park Primary School£6,368
#137Walton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School£6,344
#138Cheddar First School£6,317
#139Castle Cary Community Primary School£6,299
#140Leigh On Mendip School£6,290
#141Othery Village School£6,277
#142Willowdown Primary School£6,251
#143Neroche Primary School£6,220
#144Lyngford Park Primary School£6,213
#145St Mary's Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School£6,188
#146West Pennard Church of England Primary School£6,148
#147Axbridge Church of England First School Academy£6,144
#148Norton Fitzwarren Church School£6,126
#149Trull Church of England VA Primary School£6,124
#150Brent Knoll Church of England Primary School£6,104
#151Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School, Taunton£6,102
#152King Ina Church of England Academy£6,084
#153Ruishton Church of England School£6,079
#154St James Church School£6,078
#155Priorswood Primary School£6,076
#156Wedmore First School Academy£6,006
#157St Joseph's Catholic Primary and Nursery School£5,954
#158Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School£5,941
#159Staplegrove Church School£5,922
#160St George's Catholic School£5,903
#161Cheddon Fitzpaine Church School£5,880
#162Puriton Primary School£5,879
#163Wembdon St George's Church School£5,841
#164High Ham Church of England Primary School£5,812
#165Trinity Church of England First School£5,792
#166Avanti Park School£5,788
#167Manor Court Community Primary School£5,788
#168St Aldhelms Church School£5,772
#169St John and St Francis Church School£5,743
#170St Andrew's Church School£5,653
#171North Town Academy£5,633
#172Hayesdown First School£5,609
#173St Gildas Catholic Primary School£5,575
#174West Monkton Church of England School£5,513
#175Preston CofE Primary School£5,511
#176Huish Primary School£5,387
#177Evercreech Church of England Primary School£5,248
#178The Redstart Primary School£5,244
#179Holy Trinity Church School£5,102
#180Blackbrook Primary School£5,004
#181Baltonsborough Church of England VC Primary School£4,662
#182Milborne Port Primary School£3,584
#183Stoberry Park School£2,952
#184Ilchester Community School£1,866
#185St Benedict's Catholic Primary School£1,732

View on the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool (GOV.UK)

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