Downlands Community School, based in Blandford Forum, provides primary education, serving pupils aged 3 to 11. The school is a community school and operates as a mixed school. It follows a not applicable admissions policy. It does not have a designated religious character, which may suit families looking for a non-faith school.
Downlands Community School currently has around 215 pupils on roll, which is about 51% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 49.3% boys and 50.7% girls. Around 4.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The school has a diverse intake across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 4.4%. Persistent absence is recorded at 11.2%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (63.3%). other asian pupils make up about 29.8%
At its latest Ofsted inspection, the school was rated Requires Improvement. This means the school has areas that require improvement. Safeguarding was judged to be effective, which is a key consideration for many parents.
| Address: | Blandford Camp, Blandford Forum, DT11 8BG |
| Website: | www.downlandsschool.org |
| Telephone: | 01258453348 |
| School Type: | Community school |
| Education phase: | Primary |
| Local authority: | Dorset |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mr James Rielly |
| Religious character: | Does not apply |
| Admissions policy: | Not applicable |
| Unique reference: | 113659 |
Ofsted inspection date: 07/06/2023
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 3 - 11 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 420 |
| Number of Pupils: | 215 |
| Number of Boys: | 106 |
| Number of Girls: | 109 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 4.4% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 11.2% | 8.2% |
| White British | 63.30% | 136 |
| Other Asian | 29.80% | 64 |
| Caribbean | 1.90% | 4 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 1.40% | 3 |
| African | 0.90% | 2 |
| Indian | 0.90% | 2 |
| Other White | 0.50% | 1 |
| Other Mixed | 0.50% | 1 |
| Other Black | 0.50% | 1 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 0.50% | 1 |
| White and Black African | 0.00% | 0 |
| White and Asian | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish | 0.00% | 0 |
| Pakistani | 0.00% | 0 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.00% | 0 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 0.00% | 0 |
| Chinese | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 0.00% | 0 |
| Unclassified | 0.00% | 0 |
Progress scores show how pupils performed compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. Scores above 0 are better than average; below 0 are worse than average.
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Downlands Community School Blandford Camp , DT11 8BG | 2out of 4 | 0 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Pimperne Church of England VC Primary School Newfield Road , Pimperne DT11 8WF | 3out of 4 | 2,381 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Pimperne Church of England VC Primary School Newfield Road , Pimperne DT11 8WF | - not rated | 2,381 yd | Voluntary controlled school | No | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.