Downton CofE VA Primary School
Gravel Close, Downton, Salisbury, SP5 3LZOpen in maps (opens in a new tab)
Downton CofE VA Primary School is a primary school in Salisbury for ages 4 to 11. It is one of the 262 schools in Wiltshire. It ranks 13th of 40 primary schools in Salisbury. Its latest Ofsted rating is Good, from an inspection in January 2020.
Ofsted inspection
Inspected 8 January 2020, report published 4 February 2020
- Overall effectiveness
- Good
- Quality of education
- Good
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Good
- Personal development
- Good
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Early years provision
- Good
- Safeguarding
- Met
What Ofsted said
From the inspection on 1 April 2025
Staff warmly welcome pupils. Their caring relationships with the pupils are nurturing. The school has high expectations for all pupils' achievement. Pupils respond by working hard to develop their understanding of the subjects they study. As a result, they achieve well. During breaktimes, pupils play well together. They enjoy a wide range of activities. The school council organises many of these. For example, children enjoy dressing up and role playing. The 'reading sheds' provide quiet areas for pupils to read. Pupils have many ways they can share their worries. They are confident that the school helps them to solve problems or manage friendship issues when they need it. The school is ambitious for pupils to grow their independence and confidence. It provides an extensive range of opportunities for pupils' wider development, such as several sports, pottery, performances and music. These complement the curriculum, and pupils enjoy numerous ways to explore their talents and interests. Pupils are proud of the different ways they take on positions of responsibility. They know the roles they play contribute to shaping the school. For example, the 'eco council' is proactive in working towards the school being sustainable. It regularly weighs the rubbish in the classroom bins to reduce the amount of rubbish the school produces.
What the school should improve
- ◼ In a small number of subject areas, the school is implementing a newly designed curriculum to better meet the learning needs of the pupils. This means the precise knowledge and vocabulary that pupils will learn are not fully embedded in practice. The school should make sure these parts of the curriculum are well established. ◼ In some parts of the wider curriculum, the school has not put into action its plans to assess pupils' knowledge. Where that is the case, the school does not systematically identify gaps in pupils' knowledge. The school should make sure that assessment activity identifies pupils' potential knowledge gaps and informs teachers of the next steps.
Exam results
SATs results (key stage 2), 2024/25
45 pupils took the tests
Pupil numbers and mix
272 pupils on roll, with places for 300
Schools near Downton CofE VA Primary School
| School | Distance | Ofsted | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan's Vale and Woodfalls Church of England Primary School | 2 miles | Report card: Needs attention to expected standard | 33% met the expected standard |
| Hale Primary School | 2 miles | Ofsted: Good | 69% met the expected standard |
| Breamore Church of England Primary School | 3 miles | Ofsted judgements: Good to outstanding | 83% met the expected standard |
| Alderbury and West Grimstead Church of England Primary School | 4 miles | Ofsted: Requires improvement | 79% met the expected standard |
| Longford Church of England Primary School | 4 miles | Ofsted: Requires improvement | Not published |
School details
- School type
- Voluntary aided school
- Sector
- Local authority maintained
- Age range
- 4 to 11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Nursery classes
- No
- Headteacher
- Mrs Paula Carlton
- Phone
- 01725510556
- Address
- Gravel Close, Downton, Salisbury, SP5 3LZ
- Local authority
- Wiltshire
- URN
- 126475
School details from Get Information about Schools, 17 September 2026. Ofsted outcomes published to 31 August 2026. Exam results for 2024/25 from the Department for Education. Pupil mix from the school census, 2025/26.