Downend School

Downend School continues to maintain strong standards since its last inspection, illustrating effective leadership under Headteacher Linda Ferris. The school promotes a supportive community atmosphere where pupils feel safe and valued, contributing positively to their educational experience. The curriculum is ambitious and well-structured, with most students achieving success in public examinations and being well-prepared for their future endeavors. The focus on diversity and equal treatment among pupils fosters a respectful environment with minimal bullying, and a range of extracurricular activities enriches student life. However, challenges remain, particularly regarding the attendance of disadvantaged pupils, which is noticeably higher than the national average. Efforts to improve attendance are ongoing but not yet fully effective. Additionally, while the curriculum is well-designed, there are gaps in addressing common misconceptions in students' understanding, indicating a need for further attention in teaching practices. Overall, the school exhibits many strengths but must address these areas to enhance its effectiveness.

Strengths

• Strong sense of community and support for pupils
• Ambitious and well-structured curriculum
• High expectations leading to successful public examination outcomes
• Effective safeguarding arrangements
• Rich extracurricular opportunities and leadership initiatives
• Consistent teaching strategies to reinforce learning

Areas for Improvement

• High attendance rates among disadvantaged pupils not yet improved
• Common misconceptions in student understanding not consistently addressed

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 Downend School attended 91.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 20.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

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, 5.5% of pupils at Downend School were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 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 Downend School had 19.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 9.6% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

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, 9.2% of pupils at Downend School were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 4.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

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 secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Downend School received £7,132 and spent £7,124 for each of its 1,430 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £914,000 (£639 per pupil).

Across all 20 schools of Pathway Trust, income was £7,571 and spending £7,443 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Bristol · South Gloucestershire local authority: places and applications

Downend School is part of Pathway Trust, which runs 20 schools. The nearest others:

• Mangotsfield School Bristol
• Lyde Green Primary School Bristol
• Cherry Garden Primary School Bristol
• Marlwood School Bristol
• Severn Beach Primary School Bristol
• The Castle School Bristol
• Charfield Primary School Wotton-Under-Edge
• Tortworth Primary School Wotton-Under-Edge
• St Anne's Church Primary School Weston Super Mare
• Priory Community School Weston-Super-Mare

What is Downend School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Downend School is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Downend School last inspected by Ofsted?

Downend School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Downend School have?

Downend School has 1,415 pupils on roll.

What age range does Downend School cover?

Downend School for pupils aged 11 to 18.

What are Downend School's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 48.7, and 48% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Downend School?

Downend School is at Westerleigh Road, Downend, Bristol, BS16 6XA.