Academy converter · Wiltshire

The Trafalgar School at Downton

11–16Ages
808Pupils
SecondaryPhase
144389URN

Breamore Road, Downton, Salisbury, SP5 3HN · School website

Applications per placeCircle size: applicationsThis school

Latest Ofsted

Graded inspection · Jul 2023 Previous framework

Good

Quality of education
Behaviour and attitudes
Personal development
Leadership and management

What Ofsted found

Applications per place · Sept 2026

2.6per place

1.0 above Wiltshire median (1.6)

Fewer applicationsMore

This schoolOther secondary schools in WiltshireSelective

369 applications for 144 places · 1st of 27 in Wiltshire

Every year since 2014

Attainment 8 · 2025/26 (provisional)

45.7of 90

Wiltshire 45.5 England 46.0

13th of 27 in Wiltshire

All GCSE results

What did Ofsted find?

Ofsted data to 30 September 2026

Overall effectiveness: Good · 3 July 2023Ofsted's previous 4-point scale (to August 2024)
Area	Outstanding	Good	Requires improvement	Inadequate
Quality of education		Good
Behaviour and attitudes		Good
Personal development		Good
Leadership and management		Good

Inspection history

3 July 2023
Graded inspection: Good
4 March 2020
Ungraded inspection: School remains Good (Concerns)

Full reports on the Ofsted website · How to read Ofsted grades

About these grades

Ofsted's report cards (from November 2025) grade each area on five steps and give no overall grade. Earlier grades come from a different framework; Ofsted says the two cannot be compared, so they are never converted here. Ofsted: "We normally inspect schools every 4 years or at any time if we have concerns." Methodology.

How hard is it to get a place?

DfE · Sept 2026 entry

2.6applications per place, Year 7

1.0 above Wiltshire median (1.6) 0.3 above England median (2.2)

369 applications · 144 places offered · 130 named it first

2026 2.6; Wiltshire median median 1.6
2025 2.7; Wiltshire median median 1.7
2024 2.5; Wiltshire median median 1.5
2023 2.2; Wiltshire median median 1.5
2022 2.6; Wiltshire median median 1.6
2021 3.3; Wiltshire median median 2.4
2020 2.2; Wiltshire median median 1.6
2019 2.6; Wiltshire median median 1.5
2018 2.6; Wiltshire median median 1.6
2017 2.5; Wiltshire median median 1.8
2016 2.0; Wiltshire median median 1.6; as the previous school
2015 2.6; Wiltshire median median 1.5; as the previous school
2014 2.2; Wiltshire median median 1.6; as the previous school

More applications per place than the Wiltshire median in 10 of 10 years.

This school
Wiltshire median

Dashed bars: as The Trafalgar School at Downton (URN 126447), the previous school.

Year 7 applications for September 2027 close 31 October 2026, through your council

How this is measured

Applications per place: every application naming the school at any preference, divided by places offered on National Offer Day. It is not your chance of a place. Methodology.

Entry	Places	Applications	Per place	First preferences	First-pref. ratio
Sep 2026	144	369	2.6	130	0.90
Sep 2025	153	406	2.7	190	1.24
Sep 2024	153	382	2.5	157	1.03
Sep 2023	153	343	2.2	153	1.00
Sep 2022	140	365	2.6	154	1.10
Sep 2021	151	491	3.3	149	0.99
Sep 2020	145	323	2.2	132	0.91
Sep 2019	146	384	2.6	170	1.16
Sep 2018	172	439	2.6	245	1.42
Sep 2017	128	317	2.5	121	0.95
Sep 2016 *	142	288	2.0	147	1.04
Sep 2015 *	104	265	2.6	88	0.85
Sep 2014 *	113	251	2.2	106	0.94

How did pupils do at GCSE?

DfE KS4 · 2025/26 provisional

157 pupils took GCSEs in 2025/26.

Attainment 8 (out of 90)45.713th of 27 in Wiltshire

Wiltshire 45.5 England 46.0

Grade 5 or above in English and maths45%12th of 27 in Wiltshire

Wiltshire 42% England 45%

Grade 4 or above in English and maths66%

Wiltshire 64% England 66%

This school
Wiltshire median
England median

Progress 8 (2023/24, the latest published)−0.02

−20 = national average+2

Every year as a table

Year	Pupils	Attainment 8	5+ Eng & maths	4+ Eng & maths	Progress 8
2025/26 (prov.)	157	45.7	45%	66%	–
2024/25	149	44.3	46%	65%	–
2023/24	146	44.6	39%	60%	−0.02
2022/23	168	47.4	50%	75%	+0.18

Progress 8 is not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26: those pupils had no key stage 2 tests in 2020 and 2021.

Schools nearby

The 8 nearest secondary schools in a straight line, in any local authority

The Trafalgar School at DowntonThis school
This school

Good2023

2.6applications per place 45.7Attainment 8
The Burgate School and Sixth Form
6.3 km · Hampshire

Standards maintained2024

2.2applications per place 52.2Attainment 8
Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School
8.8 km · Wiltshire

Outstanding2022

1.6applications per place 73.5Attainment 8 Selective
Wyvern St Edmund's Academy
10.0 km · Wiltshire

Graded · no overall grade2025

2.0applications per place 46.1Attainment 8
St Joseph's Catholic School
10.1 km · Wiltshire

2026

2.6applications per place 41.0Attainment 8
South Wilts Grammar School
10.4 km · Wiltshire

Improved significantly2025

1.7applications per place 76.5Attainment 8 Selective
Sarum Academy
12.0 km · Wiltshire

Remains Good2023

1.5applications per place 32.3Attainment 8
Cranborne Middle School
13.8 km · Dorset

Some aspects not as strong2025
Emmanuel Church of England Middle School
15.8 km · Dorset

Good2022

Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Does not apply

Eight dots, one per area: inclusion, curriculum, achievement, attendance, personal development, early years, post-16, leadership. Colours follow Ofsted's report card scale; Schoolfile is independent of Ofsted.

School details

Type: Academy converter
Phase: Secondary
URN · DfE number: 144389 · 865/4006
Trust: Magna Learning Partnership
Admissions policy: Non-selective
Capacity: 630 pupils · 808 on roll
Free school meals: 13.2% of pupils (England median 23%)
Opened: 1 April 2017
Replaced: The Trafalgar School at Downton (URN 126447)
Address: Breamore Road, Downton, Salisbury, SP5 3HN
Local authority: Wiltshire

Data last changed 19 October 2026 · Report an error · Corrections · Sources