Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, Downend

Christ Church, Church of England Infant School in Downend is performing well overall, achieving a 'Good' rating across key areas including education quality, leadership, and early years provision. The school fosters a caring and supportive environment where pupils feel safe and are encouraged to express themselves and develop strong relationships. The curriculum is ambitious and effectively designed to cater to the needs of all students, ensuring that they build their knowledge systematically, particularly in mathematics and reading. Notably, personal development is a standout strength, with pupils demonstrating a solid grasp of British values and actively engaging in community initiatives.

Strengths

• Strong commitment to child safety and well-being.
• Ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum that supports effective learning.
• High love of reading and effective phonics instruction.
• Excellent support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
• Positive relationships between pupils and staff.
• Pupils engage in community-focused projects and demonstrate strong moral values.

Areas for Improvement

• Inconsistent checks on pupils’ knowledge leading to some gaps in understanding in certain subjects.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, Downend attended 96.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 4.6% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, Downend were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, Downend had 21.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 13.3% of pupils at Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, Downend were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, Downend received £6,270 and spent £6,498 for each of its 225 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £84,000 (-£375 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Bristol · Bristol, City of local authority: places and applications

What is Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, Downend's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, Downend is Good, from an inspection in January 2024.

When was Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, Downend last inspected by Ofsted?

Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, Downend was last inspected in January 2024.

How many pupils does Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, Downend have?

Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, Downend has 225 pupils on roll.

What age range does Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, Downend cover?

Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, Downend for pupils aged 5 to 7.

Where is Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, Downend?

Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, Downend is at Christchurch Avenue, Downend, Bristol, BS16 5TG.