Willowdown Primary School, based in Bridgwater, provides primary education, serving pupils aged 2 to 11. The school is a academy sponsor led and operates as a mixed school. It follows a non-selective admissions policy. It has a none religious character.
Willowdown Primary School currently has around 342 pupils on roll, which is about 81% of its capacity. The gender split is relatively balanced, with approximately 53.5% boys and 46.5% girls. Around 22.0% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, which gives an indication of the socio-economic mix. The student population reflects a mixed community across different backgrounds and needs.
Overall absence at the school is 9%. Persistent absence is recorded at 25.6%.
The majority of pupils are from a white british background (66.7%). other white pupils make up about 14.3%
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: | Kings Drive, Bridgwater, TA6 4FU |
| Website: | http://www.willowdownprimaryschool.org.uk/ |
| Telephone: | 01278558758 |
| School Type: | Academy sponsor led |
| Education phase: | Primary |
| Local authority: | Somerset |
| Headteacher / Principal: | Mrs Katie Sharp |
| Religious character: | None |
| Admissions policy: | Non-selective |
| Unique reference: | 140220 |
Ofsted inspection date: 04/05/2023
Safeguarding is effective
| Age Range: | 2 - 11 |
| Gender: | Mixed |
| School Capacity: | 420 |
| Number of Pupils: | 342 |
| Number of Boys: | 183 |
| Number of Girls: | 159 |
| School | England state-funded schools: | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall absence: | 9% | 4% |
| Persistent absence: | 25.6% | 8.2% |
| White British | 66.70% | 228 |
| Other White | 14.30% | 49 |
| Other (any other ethnic group) | 4.10% | 14 |
| Other Mixed | 3.50% | 12 |
| Indian | 3.50% | 12 |
| African | 1.80% | 6 |
| Other Asian | 1.80% | 6 |
| Gypsy/Roma | 1.20% | 4 |
| White and Black African | 0.90% | 3 |
| Other Black | 0.90% | 3 |
| Unclassified | 0.90% | 3 |
| White and Asian | 0.30% | 1 |
| Chinese | 0.30% | 1 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish | 0.00% | 0 |
| Pakistani | 0.00% | 0 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.00% | 0 |
| Caribbean | 0.00% | 0 |
| Irish Traveller (Traveller of Irish heritage) | 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willowdown Primary School Kings Drive , TA6 4FU | 2out of 4 | 0 yd | Academy sponsor led | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Sedgemoor Manor Community Junior School Parkway , TA6 4QX | - not rated | 1,202 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Sedgemoor Manor Infants' School Parkway , TA6 4QX | - not rated | 1,348 yd | Community school | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Eastover Primary School Wellington Road , TA6 5EX | 3out of 4 | 1,840 yd | Community school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| St John and St Francis CofE VA Primary School Westonzoyland Road , TA6 5BP | - not rated | 2,218 yd | Voluntary aided school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Bridgwater Community School Parkway , TA6 4QY | - not rated | 1,331 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Chilton Trinity School Chilton Street , TA6 3JA | - not rated | 2,196 yd | Academy converter | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Chilton Trinity Chilton Street , TA6 3JA | - not rated | 2,196 yd | Foundation school | No | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Centre Somerset College Group Bath Road , TA6 4PZ | - not rated | 1,575 yd | Further education | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgwater College Academy Parkway , TA6 4QY | 2out of 4 | 1,331 yd | Academy sponsor led | Yes | Mixed | More About School |
| Ofsted Overall Effectiveness | Distance | Establishment Type | Has Nursery Classes | Gender | More Info | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Monmouth Centre The Methodist Church Hall , 5 Monmouth Street TA6 5EQ | - not rated | 2,147 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Sedgemoor Centre New Prospects , TA6 5HT | - not rated | 2,234 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| The Bridge School Sedgemoor Westonzoyland Road , TA6 5HT | 3out of 4 | 2,241 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Key Stage 2 Pupil Referral Unit Albert Street , Friarn Centre TA6 3RD | - not rated | 3,049 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
| Bridgwater Key Stage 3 Centre Albert Street , TA6 3RG | - not rated | 3,066 yd | Pupil referral unit | Not Applicable | Mixed | More About School |
School statistics for this postcode are based on Ofsted rankings.