Downton CofE VA Primary School

Voluntary aided school·Primary school Salisbury, Wiltshire·SP5 3LZ
Composite score
53.0
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#6,178
National rank
#593
In South West
#69
In Wiltshire
Top 42%
Nationally

Performance (KS2 SATs)

% meeting expected RWM
69%
% achieving higher RWM
7%
Reading average scaled score
109.0
National avg ≈ 105
Maths average scaled score
106.0
National avg ≈ 104
Reading progress
—
Maths progress
—

Ofsted judgements

Legacy framework · Read full report ↗

Overall effectiveness
Good
Quality of education
Good
Behaviour and attitudes
Good
Personal development
Good
Leadership and management
Good
Safeguarding effective?
Yes
Early years provision
Good

Getting a place

Offered a place after putting it first
94%
32 first choices, 30 places
First choices per place
1.07
more first choices than places
Applications naming the school
39
any preference, for 30 places
Applications from another council area
10%
First preferences per place, last five years▲ 0.10
00.511.5
1 per place
1.0020220.9820231.0020240.9720251.072026

Red dashed line = one first choice per place. How to read this

Wiltshire does not publish how far from the school the last child offered a Reception place lived, so there is no cut-off distance to show for Downton CofE VA Primary School. Ask the school or the council how places were allocated this year.

Application figures: DfE, school level applications and offers (2026 intake).

School profile

Age range
4–11
Pupils on roll
282
Gender
Mixed
Religious character
Church of England

Pupil background

% FSM ever-6
11.3%
Typical primary: 21.5%
% EAL
1.4%
Typical primary: 9.6%

Special educational needs

% SEN support
11.0%
Typical primary: 14.3%
% with an EHC plan
3.2%
Typical primary: 3.0%

Attendance

Overall absence
4.8%
Typical primary: 5.3%
Persistently absent
6.7%
Typical primary: 13.3%

Staffing & funding

Pupils per teacher
21.9
Typical primary: 20.7
Spend per pupil
£6,070
Typical primary: £6,960

“Typical” = the median primary school in England. What this means

Nearby primary schools

Location

School overview

Downton CofE VA Primary School is a primary school serving Salisbury, Wiltshire, classified by the DfE as a voluntary aided school with a Church of England religious character. It has 282 pupils aged 4 to 11 on roll. At its most recent graded inspection, Ofsted rated Downton CofE VA Primary School 'Good'. 69% of its pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at the end of Key Stage 2, above the national average (national figure: 61%). Performance is little changed year on year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it in the top 42% of primary schools nationally.

Pupils achieved an average scaled score of 109 in reading and 106 in maths (national averages are about 105 and 104). 7% reached the higher standard across all three subjects (around 8% do so nationally). Downton CofE VA Primary School is oversubscribed: about 9 in 10 of the families who made it their first choice were offered a Reception place for September 2026, with 32 first choices for 30 places. Overall pupil absence was 4.8%. There are about 21.9 pupils per teacher. Its intake is relatively advantaged, with around 11% of pupils eligible for free school meals in the last six years versus about 24% nationally. When comparing schools, it is still worth visiting in person to see whether the atmosphere and approach suit your child. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.

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