The Downley School
Primary · Academy sponsor led · Mixed · Buckinghamshire
Faulkner Way, High Wycombe, HP13 5AL
51
headline score
Ranking (England)
—
No ranked results
Ofsted
Inadequate
Graded 22/03/2022
Application demand
100%
1st preference success · Not oversubscribed
Attendance
95.7%
8.9% persistently absent
At a glance
Pupils on roll
350
Capacity used
Has space83%
420 places
GCSE rank (England)
—
KS2 rank (England)
—
Application demand
Primary entry · official council applications and offers
100%
1st preference success rate
27 of 27 families who put it first got an offer
28
Places offered
59
Total applications
2.1
Applications per place
| Preference (Sept 2025 entry) | Applications | Offers | Success |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st preference | 27 | 27 | ● 100% |
| 2nd preference | 16 | 1 | ● 6% |
| 3rd preference | 10 | 0 | ● 0% |
| Later preferences (4th–6th) | 6 | 0 | ● 0% |
| Total | 59 | 28 | 47% |
1st preference success by year
Buckinghamshire lets families list 6 preferences. Source: Department for Education, school-level applications and offers. Offers are made on each school's admissions criteria (e.g. siblings, distance, faith), so check the school's policy.
Last distance offered
From Buckinghamshire council's allocation report on offer day. It changes every year, so treat it as a guide.
September 2026 entry
No limit
Everyone who applied got in
60 places
All applicants offered
September 2025 entry
No limit
Everyone who applied got in
60 places
All applicants offered
Currently available for Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Enfield schools, from council allocation reports. Distances are straight-line from home to school.
Details
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Phase
- Primary
- Age range
- 4–11
- Gender
- Mixed
- Sixth form
- No
- Nursery
- No Nursery Classes
- Boarding
- No boarders
- Headteacher
- Leanne Dandridge
- Address
- Faulkner Way, Downley, High Wycombe, HP13 5AL
- Phone
- 01494527033
- Local authority
- Buckinghamshire
- Ward / constituency
- Downley · Wycombe
- Area
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- URN
- 149485
Pupils
| Measure | School | LA | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free school meals | 14% | — | — |
| English as additional language | 20% | — | — |
| SEN support | 8% | — | — |
Local deprivation (IDACI quintile 1 of 5)
1 = least deprived area, 5 = most deprived. Context only.
Academy trust: OXFORD DIOCESAN BUCKS SCHOOLS TRUST
350 pupils · 420 places. Intake figures describe the school's community — they aren't good or bad.
Ofsted inspections
- 22
22 March 2022
Full graded inspection
Inadequate overall effectivenessEarly years Inadequate Personal development Requires improvement Quality of education Inadequate Safeguarding effective Yes Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Leadership and management Inadequate
Attendance
2024/2025 school year · 350 pupils
Attendance
95.7%
Share of sessions attended · England 94.5%
Overall absence
4.3%
Sessions missed, any reason · England 5.5%
Persistent absence
8.9%
Pupils missing 10%+ of school · England 14.6%
Severe absence
0.3%
Pupils missing 50%+ of school · England 2.3%
Unauthorised absence
0.7%
Absences the school didn't approve
Persistent absence by year
Source: Department for Education, pupil absence by school (pupils aged 5–15). Lower absence is better. England figures are approximate 2023/24 averages.
Primary results (Key Stage 2)
| Measure | School | LA | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expected standard in reading, writing & maths | 51% | — | — |
| Higher standard | 5% | — | — |
| Reading progress | — | — | 0.0 |
| Writing progress | — | — | 0.0 |
| Maths progress | — | — | 0.0 |
Primary results by subject (SATs)
Year 6 pupils meeting each standard, against England
Reading, writing & maths combined
Reading
Writing
Maths
Grammar, punctuation & spelling
Science
England average · Scaled scores run 80–120 (100 = expected standard).
Primary results over time
Expected standard (RWM) by year (2020 and 2021 exams were cancelled)
| Result | School | England (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Expected standard (RWM) | 71% | 61% |
| Higher standard | 11% | 8% |
House prices near the school
Typical sold prices (Land Registry) within 1 km, last 12 months.
Loading prices…
Key application dates
National deadlines in England. Apply through Buckinghamshire council, not the school.
| Entry | Deadline | Offer day |
|---|---|---|
| Reception (primary) | 15 January | 16 April (or next working day) |
Source: Get Information About Schools and the DfE school and college performance tables (2023-2024); Oxbridge figures from the University of Cambridge's admissions by UCAS apply centre (Oxford doesn't publish per-school figures). Read the method.