High Down Junior School
High Down Junior School is an academy converter in Bristol for pupils aged 7 to 11. It has 328 pupils on roll. In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. It has fewer teachers for its size than most primary schools: 26.3 pupils for each teacher in 2025/26, against 20.7 nationally.
KS2 results: 2025.
| Type | Primary / Academy converter |
| Age Range | 7-11 |
| Religion | Does not apply |
| Address | Down Road Portishead Bristol Somerset BS20 6DY |
| Phone | 01275843969 |
| Reference Number | 143286 |
General Makeup
| Number of pupils | 328 |
| Boy/Girl ratio |
Boys: 56.4%
Girls: 43.6% |
| Percentage of students eligible for free school meals | 9.5% |
| Percentage of students where English is not their first language | 4.3% |
Class Sizes
| Average size of one teacher classes | 29.8 |
| Average size of Key Stage 2 classes taught by one teacher | 29.8 |
Year Groups
| Year | Boys | Girls | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 36 | 28 | 64 |
| 4 | 52 | 38 | 90 |
| 5 | 45 | 42 | 87 |
| 6 | 52 | 35 | 87 |
Ethnicities
| Ethnicity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, British | 88.7% |
| White, Other | 4.9% |
| Mixed, Other | 2.1% |
| Asian, Other | 1.2% |
| White & Black (Caribbean) | 0.6% |
| Chinese | 0.3% |
| White & Asian | 0.3% |
| Indian | 0.3% |
| Unclassified | 0.3% |
| White & Black (African) | 0.3% |
| African | 0.3% |
| Irish | 0.3% |
| Overall Ofsted Rating | |
| Last Report Date | 05 Nov 2024 – no overall grade published for this inspection |
| Date | Report |
|---|---|
| 05 Nov 2024 | School inspection |
| 08 May 2019 | Short inspection |
| 06 Sep 2016 | Academy conversion letter |
| 01 Dec 2015 | Full inspection: |
| Previously as High Down Junior School | |
| 24 Jan 2014 | Monitoring visit |
| 06 Nov 2013 | Full inspection: |
| 22 Nov 2011 | Full inspection: |
| 01 Mar 2011 | Curriculum and development visit |
| 19 May 2009 | Full inspection: |
| 14 Mar 2007 | Monitoring visit |
| 07 Mar 2006 | Full inspection: |
| 27 Mar 2000 | Full inspection |
How many students meet the standards
| Reading, Writing & Maths | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils meeting the expected standard | 72% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Pupils meeting a higher standard | 13% | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
Average Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
| Subject | School | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 107 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | 107 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
Progress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
| Metric | School Score | Percentile (local) | Percentile (nationwide) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | -0.9 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Writing | 0.1 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
| Maths | -0.2 | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment | Locked: unlock for £9.99, one-off payment |
How many students meet the standards
Sample
UnlockAverage Scaled Score
Results are converted into scaled scores to allow accurate comparisons of performance over time even if the difficulty of the test varies over time. Scaled scores range from 80 to 120.
Sample
UnlockProgress Scores
A progress score is a way to measure how well a student progressed in comparison to other students of a similar starting ability. A score of zero means would mean that a student made the same progress as others that had a similar starting a ability. A positive score would mean that the student made more progress than other students of similar starting ability. The scores below are for the whole school so is the average progress score across all students.
Sample
UnlockUnlock Premium
See how High Down Junior School ranks locally and nationally. Percentile rankings against every other school, historic result charts, admissions data and post-GCSE destinations are all included.
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Unlock for £9.99Places and pupil numbers
In 2024–25 High Down Junior School had 336 pupils for 360 places. 24 places (6.7%) were unfilled.
Pupils and places
Reception intake in the “Gordano/Pill A Primary” planning area
North Somerset counted 273 Reception pupils in this area in 2024–25 and forecasts 224 in 2029–30, down 18%.
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Places | 390 | 390 | 420 | 420 | 420 | 360 | 360 | 360 |
| Pupils | 387 | 387 | 416 | 385 | 369 | 343 | 340 | 336 |
| Unfilled | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1.0% | 8.3% | 12.1% | 4.7% | 5.6% | 6.7% |
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 High Down Junior School attended 95.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).
Sessions missed
Pupils persistently absent
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Authorised absence | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.5% | 2.2% | 4.7% | 3.4% | 3.9% | 3.1% |
| Unauthorised absence | 0.5% | 1.0% | 0.9% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.4% |
| Severely absent pupils | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 0.3% |
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 High Down Junior School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.
Pupils suspended at least once
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspensions per 100 pupils | 2.3 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 0.0 |
| Permanent exclusions | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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 High Down Junior School had 26.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 21.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).
Pupils per teacher
Teachers who left the school within a year
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils per adult | 15.2 | 16.3 | 18.3 | 16.6 | 14.5 | 14.3 | 14.8 | 13.9 | 13.5 | 13.1 |
| Teachers who left state teaching | 12.5% | 24.8% | 9.2% | 0.0% | 2.6% | 0.0% | 12.6% | 1.4% | 7.0% | – |
| Teachers who took any sick leave | – | 75.0% | 63.2% | – | 42.1% | 73.7% | 31.6% | 77.8% | 55.6% | – |
| Sick days per teacher | – | 6.8 | 3.3 | – | 1.4 | 12.8 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 1.2 | – |
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, 6.4% of pupils at High Down Junior School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).
Pupils by main type of need
| SEN support | EHC plan | |
|---|---|---|
| Social, emotional and mental health | 13 | 4 |
| Specific learning difficulty | 6 | 3 |
| Speech, language and communication needs | 2 | 4 |
| Autistic spectrum disorder | 0 | 2 |
| Moderate learning difficulty | 0 | 2 |
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 2024–25 High Down Junior School received £5,965 and spent £5,988 for each of its 341 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £95,000 (£280 per pupil).
Across all 33 schools of Lighthouse Schools Partnership, income was £6,883 and spending £6,752 per pupil.
Income per pupil
Spending per pupil
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue reserve | £113,000 | £136,000 | £100,000 | £86,000 | £108,000 | £120,000 | £95,000 |
| per pupil | £270 | £351 | £258 | £235 | £316 | £350 | £280 |
| In-year balance | -£63,000 | -£42,000 | -£71,000 | £53,000 | £106,000 | £76,000 | -£8,000 |
| per pupil | -£152 | -£107 | -£185 | £144 | £309 | £223 | -£24 |
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.
| Name | Distance |
|
High Down Infant School
Down Road, Portishead, Somerset, BS20 6DY |
0.03 miles |
|
St Peter's Church of England Primary School
Hallett's Way, Portishead, Somerset, BS20 6BT |
0.9 miles |
|
St Joseph's Catholic Primary School
Bristol Road, Bristol Rd, Portishead, Somerset, BS20 6QB |
1.04 miles |
|
Portishead Primary School
Station Road, Portishead, Somerset, BS20 7DB |
1.18 miles |
|
Trinity Anglican-Methodist Primary School
Marjoram Way, Portishead, Bristol, BS20 7JF |
1.5 miles |
|
Tickenham Church of England Primary School
174 Clevedon Road, Tickenham, Clevedon, Somerset, BS21 6RG |
2.59 miles |
|
The Downs Preparatory School
Charlton Drive, Bristol, BS48 1PF |
2.84 miles |
|
Kingshill Church School
Pound Lane, Nailsea, Somerset, BS48 2NP |
3.05 miles |
|
St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury
Church Lane, Portbury, Bristol, Somerset, BS20 7TR |
3.1 miles |
|
All Saints Church of England Primary School
All Saints Lane, Clevedon, Somerset, BS21 6AU |
3.45 miles |
|
Golden Valley Primary School
Nailsea Park, Nailsea, Bristol, Somerset, BS48 1BB |
3.66 miles |
|
St Nicholas Chantry Church of England Primary School
Highdale Avenue, Clevedon, Somerset, BS21 7LT |
3.78 miles |
|
Grove Junior School
Whiteoak Way, Nailsea, Somerset, BS48 4YZ |
3.88 miles |
|
Hannah More Infant School
White Oak Way, Nailsea, Somerset, BS48 4YZ |
3.9 miles |
|
St Francis Catholic Primary School
Station Road, Nailsea, Somerset, BS48 4PD |
3.91 miles |
|
Crockerne Church of England Primary School
Westward Drive, Pill, Bristol, BS20 0JP |
4.27 miles |
|
Avonmouth Church of England Primary School and Nursery
Catherine Street, Avonmouth, Bristol, BS11 9LG |
4.3 miles |
|
Yeo Moor Primary School
Yeo Moor Primary School, Kennaway Road, Clevedon, Somerset, BS21 6JL |
4.33 miles |
|
Shirehampton Primary School
St Mary's Walk, Shirehampton, Bristol, BS11 9RR |
4.57 miles |
|
Nova Primary School
Barracks Lane, Shirehampton, Bristol, BS11 9NG |
4.66 miles |
| Name | Distance |
|
Gordano School
St Mary's Road, Portishead, Bristol, BS20 7QR |
0.81 miles |
|
Lime Hills Academy
Pound Lane, Nailsea, BS48 2NN |
3.04 miles |
|
Ravenswood School
Pound Lane, Nailsea, Bristol, BS48 2NN |
3.05 miles |
|
Clevedon School
Valley Road, Clevedon, Somerset, BS21 6AH |
3.3 miles |
|
Nailsea School
Mizzymead Road, Nailsea, Bristol, Somerset, BS48 2HN |
3.68 miles |
|
Seven Hills
80b Kenn Road, Clevedon, North Somerset, BS21 6EX |
4.2 miles |
|
St Katherine's School
Pill Road, Ham Green, Bristol, Somerset, BS20 0HU |
4.75 miles |
|
Backwell School
Station Road, Backwell, Bristol, BS48 3BX |
4.85 miles |
|
Oasis Academy Brightstowe
Penpole Lane, Shirehampton, Bristol, BS11 0EB |
4.98 miles |
All schools in Bristol · North Somerset local authority: places and applications
High Down Junior School is part of Lighthouse Schools Partnership, which runs 33 schools. The nearest others:
- High Down Infant School Portishead
- Gordano School Bristol
- St Peter's Church of England Primary School Portishead
- Portishead Primary School Portishead
- St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Portbury Bristol
- Golden Valley Primary School Bristol
- Grove Junior School Nailsea
- Hannah More Infant School Nailsea
- West Leigh Infant School Bristol
- Backwell School Bristol
How many pupils does High Down Junior School have?
High Down Junior School has 328 pupils on roll.
What age range does High Down Junior School cover?
High Down Junior School for pupils aged 7 to 11.
What are High Down Junior School's SATs (KS2) results?
In 2025, 72% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
Where is High Down Junior School?
High Down Junior School is at Down Road, Portishead, Bristol, Somerset, BS20 6DY.