Downlands Community School
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Downlands Community School is a council school in Blandford Forum for boys and girls aged 3 to 11. It has 201 pupils and room for 420. About 5 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 11 out of 100. That puts it well below schools like it, ahead of 0% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted visited in January 2026 and gave it a report card, which is below.
Blandford Camp, Blandford Forum, DT11 8BG01258 453348downlandsschool.orgMr James Rielly headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
Ofsted visited on 13 January 2026. Instead of one overall word, it now gives a grade for each part of school life. Read the full report on Ofsted's website.
Ofsted says these new grades can't be lined up against the old one-word grades.
Earlier inspections (1)
| Date | Type | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| 7 June 2023 | S5 Inspection | Requires improvement |
Results
Year 6 results (SATs), summer 2025
26 children took the tests. Here is how they did against every state primary in England.
All Year 6 measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | Dorset | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils tested | 26 | 31 | 38 | 33 | 31 | 30 | – | – |
| Reached the expected level at 11Expected standard in reading, writing and maths | 42% | 42% | 45% | 55% | 52% | 47% | 57% | 63% |
| Working above the expected levelHigher standard in reading, writing and maths | 4% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 0% | 0% | 7% | 8% |
| Reading scoreReading average scaled score | 102.0 | 104.0 | 104.0 | 103.0 | 103.0 | 100.0 | 104.8 | 105.6 |
| Maths scoreMaths average scaled score | 103.0 | 103.0 | 103.0 | 102.0 | 100.0 | 99.0 | 103.3 | 104.6 |
| Grammar and spelling scoreGPS average scaled score | 104.0 | 104.0 | 103.0 | 103.0 | 101.0 | 101.0 | 104.0 | 105.2 |
| Expected level: readingReading expected standard | 54% | 65% | 71% | 70% | 71% | 60% | – | – |
| Expected level: mathsMaths expected standard | 65% | 65% | 68% | 64% | 68% | 63% | – | – |
| Expected level: writingWriting expected standard (teacher assessed) | 54% | 58% | 47% | 73% | 61% | 53% | – | – |
| Reading progressReading progress score | – | – | -1.4 | -1.0 | -0.9 | -2.6 | – | – |
| Maths progressMaths progress score | – | – | -0.7 | -3.1 | -4.0 | -3.6 | – | – |
There are no progress figures for 2025. That year group missed their Year 2 tests during Covid, so there was no starting point to measure from. Progress figures come back with the December 2026 results. Tests were cancelled altogether in 2020 and 2021.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. None of the gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At the end of primary school, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published.
128 places were empty (41% of the total), so almost everyone who applies gets in. Pupil numbers have fallen by 18% since 2021/22, so places are getting easier to find.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to Dorset council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
What parents say
From Ofsted's Parent View survey: 11 parents answered in the year to 6 April 2026. Parents choose whether to fill it in, and many only do so when an inspection is coming, so don't read too much into small differences. The England figures are the average for primary schools with enough answers to publish.
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
Infant classes (Reception to Year 2) average 20.5 pupils (England 25.5); junior classes (Years 3 to 6) average 25.5 (England 27.3).
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: language and communications needs (28), Specific learning difficulty (15), emotional and mental health (12), Autistic spectrum disorder (3), Physical disability (3), Other difficulty or disability (2).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 201 | 215 | 254 | 265 | 264 | 253 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 5% | 4% | 3% | 4% | 5% | 4% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 37% | 32% | 31% | 26% | 26% | 27% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 29% | 24% | 20% | 25% | 20% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 5% | 2% | 3% | 3% | 3% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 95.5% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 94.8%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 4.6% | 4.4% | 4.7% | 4.2% | 1.9% | 3.1% | 5.2% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 3.7% | 3.9% | 4.0% | 3.4% | 1.6% | 2.2% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 0.8% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 0.8% | 0.3% | 1.0% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 10.1% | 11.2% | 8.3% | 5.8% | 2.3% | 5.2% | 12.8% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 1.6 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the council school accounts, year to March 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other primary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest primary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pimperne Church of England VC Primary School | Academy | 1.4 miles | 183 | Not inspected | 52 | Compare |
| Archbishop Wake Church of England Primary School | Academy | 2.0 miles | 411 | Good 2023 | 33 | Compare |
| Milldown CofE Academy | Academy | 2.4 miles | 200 | Good 2022 | 25 | Compare |
| Blandford St Mary Church of England Primary School | Academy | 2.8 miles | 208 | Not inspected | 54 | Compare |
| Spetisbury CofE Primary School | Academy | 3.4 miles | 187 | Good 2023 | 85 | Compare |
| Durweston Church of England Primary School | Academy | 3.8 miles | 144 | Report card 2026 | 71 | Compare |
| Witchampton Church of England First School | Academy | 4.4 miles | 45 | Good 2023 | 89 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Downlands Community School with the 47 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 47 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 11 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 11% of primary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 6 to 22. That range is wide enough that the school could sit in the next band, so take the band as a rough guide rather than a verdict. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 25% | in line | +0.01 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 26 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | well below | -0.38 | Ofsted report card, 0.7 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | in line | -0.02 | DfE progress measure; 26 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | below | -0.06 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | above | +0.05 | 2024/25; 189 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | well below | -0.21 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 26 pupils |
| What parents say | 5% | below | -0.03 | Ofsted's Parent View survey, allowing for how many parents replied; 11 responses |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Downlands Community School a good school?
The figures are weak. Downlands Community School scores 11 out of 100. That is well below schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 0% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 6 to 22, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much. Its results have been slipping over the last five years.
What is Downlands Community School's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted no longer gives schools one overall grade. When it visited on 13 January 2026 it rated teaching as needs attention, achievement as needs attention, behaviour and attendance as as expected, leadership as needs attention.
How good are Downlands Community School's SATs results?
In summer 2025, 42% of Year 6 children reached the expected level in reading, writing and maths. Across England it was 63%. 4% went further and reached the higher level.
How many pupils does Downlands Community School have?
201 pupils aged 3 to 11 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 420 places, so it is 48% full.
Is Downlands Community School oversubscribed?
Probably not. 128 places were empty in 2024/25 (41% of the total), so most families who apply get a place.
What is attendance like at Downlands Community School?
Pupils were in school 95.5% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 94.8%. 10% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
What do parents say about Downlands Community School?
73% of the 11 parents who answered Ofsted's Parent View survey would recommend it to other parents, and 64% say their child is happy there. Across England, 87% of parents would recommend their child's school.
How big are the classes at Downlands Community School?
The average class had 21.3 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 25.4. No class had more than 30 pupils.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Blandford Camp, Blandford Forum, DT11 8BG
- Telephone
- 01258 453348
- Website
- www.downlandsschool.org
- Headteacher
- Mr James Rielly
- Type of school
- Council school (Community school, local authority maintained schools)
- Phase
- Primary school, ages 3-11, with nursery
- Gender
- Mixed
- Local authority
- Dorset
- Ward
- Cranborne Chase
- Constituency
- North Dorset
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- URN
- 113659 · LAESTAB 8382002 · UKPRN 10076065
- Formerly
- St Leonard's School
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- Year 6 results: DfE key stage 2 tables, 2024/25.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, consistent financial reporting 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.