Ofsted: Outstanding trending_up Popular emoji_events #4 in West Berkshire public Top 7% UK

The Downs School

verifiedData: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

personMr Chris Prosser

location_onNewbury, RG20 6AD

language Visit Website phone 1635270000

verified

Ofsted

Outstanding

Inspected 2024

groups

Students

1,363

trending_up

Attainment 8

53.4

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GCSE Rank

#4 in West Berkshire

#743 of 4,663 nationally

summarize

The Downs School is a Foundation school secondary school in Newbury, serving ages 11-18. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted — the highest possible grade. Demand is above capacity (1.3×) — apply through your local authority on time.

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School Summary

The Downs School is a foundation school in Newbury, West Berkshire, admitting pupils aged 11-18. It has a sixth form offering post-16 education. The school has approximately 1,437 pupils on roll, of whom 11% are eligible for free school meals.

In 2025, pupils achieved an Attainment 8 score of 53.4, placing the school #4 in West Berkshire and #743 of 4,663 nationally. 54.40% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths. 28.1% of all GCSE entries were graded 9–7.

The sixth form offers 26 A-level subjects. 64.3% of A-level entries were graded A*–B, with 37.7% at A*–A. A-level value added: +0.18 — students made above-average progress at sixth form.

Ofsted last inspected the school in 2024. The school's current overall rating is Outstanding. Inspectors assessed quality of education as Outstanding, behaviour and attitudes Outstanding, personal development Outstanding, and leadership and management Good.

The school is oversubscribed — in the most recent cycle, there were 1.3× as many applications as places, making a successful application competitive.

The pupil-to-qualified-teacher ratio is 16.9:1. There are no current teaching vacancies.

In the 2024/25 academic year, there were no permanent exclusions. The average suspension rate was 1.4 per 1,000 pupils per term.

verified Source: DfE 2024/25–2025/26 · Ofsted

Academic Performance

verified Data: UK Gov 2024/25

analytics

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

2025

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

53.4

Grade 5+ E&M

54.40%

Grade 9–7 (all GCSEs)28.1%

Entering EBacc72.30%

EBacc APS4.98

2024

Progress 8 Score

0.32

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

52.6

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc70.90%

EBacc APS4.86

2023

Progress 8 Score

0.78

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

57.1

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc55%

EBacc APS5.17

2022

Progress 8 Score

0.53

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

55.7

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc29%

EBacc APS4.71

2021

Progress 8 Score

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc37%

EBacc APS-

2019

Progress 8 Score

0.07

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc36%

EBacc APS4.63

2018

Progress 8 Score

0.35

vs National Avg

Attainment 8

54.5

Grade 5+ E&M

Entering EBacc41%

EBacc APS4.74

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Student Destinations (After Secondary)

This module shows what students did after finishing Key Stage 4 (GCSEs). It reflects how well the school prepares pupils for the real world.

2025

Stayed in Education / Employment

97%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)94%

Apprenticeships2%

EmploymentSP%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)2%

2024

Stayed in Education / Employment

95%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)88%

Apprenticeships2%

Employment5%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)4%

2023

Stayed in Education / Employment

97%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)89%

Apprenticeships4%

Employment3%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)2%

2022

Stayed in Education / Employment

98%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)96%

Apprenticeships1%

Employment1%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)2%

2021

Stayed in Education / Employment

100%

Education (e.g. Sixth Form/College)94%

Apprenticeships2%

Employment4%

Not in Education / Employment (NEET)0%

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Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

A-level results for students who stayed in sixth form at this school. Value added measures how much progress students made relative to their GCSE starting point.

2025

A-Level Value Added

+0.18

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make above-average progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

Students

174

Grade Breakdown

Achieving A*12.6%

Achieving A*–A37.7%

Achieving A*–B64.3%

VA Banding Above average

Retention rate97.1%

A-level subjects offered26

2024

A-Level Value Added

+0.18

vs expected from GCSEs

Pupils make above-average progress at A-level.

Avg Grade

B-

Students

143

Retention rate98.60%

2023

Avg Grade

Students

138

Retention rate98.60%

2022

Avg Grade

Students

127

Retention rate96.9%

Source: DfE A Level and Other 16-18 Results

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Report Archive

01 October 2024

Inspection Report

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06 June 2013

Inspection Report

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07 January 2011

Inspection Report

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21 November 2007

Inspection Report

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06 November 2006

Inspection Report

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24 February 2004

Inspection Report

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Inspection Report

Inspection History

3 Evaluations

2024-10-01

S5 Inspection EIF

Not Judged

info

Why no overall grade?

From autumn 2024, Ofsted stopped issuing a single headline grade (Outstanding / Good / RI / Inadequate). Instead, each inspection area is graded individually. This follows a major review after the death of headteacher Ruth Perry in 2023. The overall effectiveness field is left as "Not judged" in the published data.

Education

Outstanding

Behaviour

Outstanding

Development

Outstanding

Leadership

Good

2013-06-06

S5 Inspection EIF

Outstanding

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Outstanding

2007-11-21

None EIF

Good

Education

No Judgement

Behaviour

No Judgement

Development

No Judgement

Leadership

Good

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

gavel

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Official Department for Education (DfE) data. Suspensions measure temporary removals due to behavior, while exclusions represent permanent removals.

Suspension Rate

1.9%per term

sentiment_satisfied Below Average (Good)

National average: 7.3% for this term (secondary).

Pupils Suspended 1+ Times

0.8%(12 pupils)

Spring term 2025

Represents the proportion of unique students suspended at least once in this term.

Permanent Exclusions

0pupils

verified Excellent (Zero)

National average: 7.398% of pupils excluded per term.

Pastoral Context: In the Spring term of 2025, this school served a headcount of 1,437 pupils. During this period, there were 28 temporary suspensions. The school's suspension rate was 1.9%, which is below the termly national average of 7.3%.

View Historical Disciplinary Records (2017–2025)keyboard_arrow_down

Year / Term	Headcount	Suspensions	Susp. Rate	Nat. Avg	Perm. Excl.
2024/25 (Spring term)	1,437	28	1.9%	7.3%	0
2024/25 (Autumn term)	1,437	12	0.8%	7.8%	0
2023/24 (Summer term)	1,405	16	1.1%	7.4%	0
2023/24 (Spring term)	1,405	8	0.6%	7.1%	0
2023/24 (Autumn term)	1,407	8	0.6%	8.2%	0
2022/23 (Summer term)	1,360	11	0.8%	6.6%	0
2022/23 (Spring term)	1,363	18	1.3%	6.4%	0
2022/23 (Autumn term)	1,366	17	1.2%	5.9%	0
2021/22 (Summer term)	1,328	17	1.3%	4.7%	0
2021/22 (Spring term)	1,316	13	1.0%	4.9%	0
2021/22 (Autumn term)	1,327	12	0.9%	4.4%	0
2020/21 (Summer term)	1,304	7	0.5%	3.6%	0
2020/21 (Spring term)	1,300	2	0.2%	1.0%	0
2020/21 (Autumn term)	1,307	9	0.7%	3.9%	0
2019/20 (Summer term)	1,279	0	0.0%	0.0%	0
2019/20 (Spring term)	1,279	11	0.9%	3.2%	0
2019/20 (Autumn term)	1,278	13	1.0%	4.2%	0
2018/19 (Summer term)	1,215	24	2.0%	3.1%	1
2018/19 (Spring term)	1,215	30	2.5%	3.8%	0
2018/19 (Autumn term)	1,217	14	1.2%	3.8%	2
2017/18 (Summer term)	1,176	10	0.9%	3.4%	0
2017/18 (Spring term)	1,176	14	1.2%	3.0%	0
2017/18 (Autumn term)	1,192	13	1.1%	3.7%	0
2016/17 (Summer term)	1,198	6	0.5%	3.0%	0
2016/17 (Spring term)	1,201	28	2.3%	3.3%	0
2016/17 (Autumn term)	1,202	18	1.5%	3.1%	0

Source: DfE Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions in England. Data represents termly statistics as published by the Department for Education.

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Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Primary areas of need currently supported by the school. A high number often indicates specialized internal units or high staff experience in these areas.

Specific Learning Difficulty 68 pupils

Autistic Spectrum Disorder 59 pupils

Social, Emotional & Mental Health 27 pupils

Physical Disability 5 pupils

Moderate Learning Difficulty 3 pupils

Visual Impairment 3 pupils

Speech, Language & Communication 2 pupils

Hearing Impairment 2 pupils

Severe Learning Difficulty 1 pupils

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Parent View on Pastoral Care

Results from the official Ofsted Parent View survey, reflecting direct parent sentiment regarding the school environment.

My child is happy at this school.

92.0%Positive

My child feels safe at this school.

93.0%Positive

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

19.0%Positive

View All Survey Responseskeyboard_arrow_down

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

strongly agree55%

agree37%

disagree4%

strongly disagree2%

don't know2%

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

strongly agree37%

agree42%

disagree13%

strongly disagree5%

don't know4%

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

strongly agree38%

agree22%

disagree6%

strongly disagree4%

don't know2%

not applicable28%

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

yes23%

no77%

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

strongly agree39%

agree27%

disagree18%

strongly disagree10%

dont know6%

The school has high expectations for my child.

strongly agree62%

agree28%

disagree5%

strongly disagree2%

don't know3%

My child does well at this school.

strongly agree52%

agree36%

disagree6%

strongly disagree1%

don't know4%

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

strongly agree44%

agree44%

disagree6%

strongly disagree3%

don't know3%

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

strongly agree58%

agree36%

disagree4%

strongly disagree3%

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

strongly agree51%

agree40%

disagree4%

strongly disagree3%

don't know2%

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

strongly agree46%

agree36%

disagree8%

strongly disagree3%

don't know7%

I would recommend this school to another parent.

yes92%

no8%

Top Secondary Schools in West Berkshire

Other highly-ranked schools in the same local authority

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St Bartholomew's School

Outstanding

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Inadequate

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Good

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Little Heath School

Good

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Denefield School

Good

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Kennet School

Good

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View all schools in West Berkshire arrow_forward

School Summary

Academic Performance

Secondary Performance Trends (KS4)

Student Destinations (After Secondary)

Sixth Form (A-Level) Performance

Ofsted History

Publication Timeline

Inspection History

Admissions Insight

How Places Are Allocated

Distance to School

School Capacity

Secondary Admission Trends

Students & School Environment

School Size

Language Diversity

Inclusive Support

Attendance

Ethnicity Breakdown

Wellbeing, SEN & Pastoral Care

Behaviour & Discipline (Suspensions & Exclusions)

Supported Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Parent View on Pastoral Care

My child is happy at this school.

My child feels safe at this school.

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

My child does well at this school.

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

I would recommend this school to another parent.

My child is happy at this school.

My child feels safe at this school.

My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively.

The school makes sure its pupils are well behaved.

The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.

When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly

Does your child have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)?

My child has special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed.

The school has high expectations for my child.

My child does well at this school.

The school lets me know how my child is doing.

There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.

My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.

The school supports my child's wider personal development.

I would recommend this school to another parent.

Funding & Staffing

School Funding Allocation

Funding Breakdown

Staffing

Teacher Turnover

Top Secondary Schools in West Berkshire

St Bartholomew's School

Park House School

The Willink School

Little Heath School

Denefield School

Kennet School