Willowdown Primary School
- Primary
- Academy sponsor led
- Ages 2 to 11
URN 140220 · Somerset · FUTURA LEARNING PARTNERSHIP
Inspection
Ofsted management information, as at 30 September 2026.
Latest report card inspection
6 January 2026- Inclusion
- Strong standard
- Curriculum and teaching
- Expected standard
- Achievement
- Expected standard
- Attendance and behaviour
- Expected standard
- Personal development and wellbeing
- Expected standard
- Leadership and governance
- Strong standard
- Early years
- Expected standard
- Safeguarding standards
- Met
Full inspection (section 5)
Report cards, used from 10 November 2025, grade each area on a five-point scale and give no overall grade. Safeguarding is met or not met.
Earlier inspection, different framework
Earlier graded inspection
4 May 2023Overall effectiveness
Requires improvement
- Quality of education
- Requires improvement
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Requires improvement
- Personal development
- Requires improvement
- Leadership and management
- Requires improvement
- Early years provision
- Requires improvement
- Safeguarding is effective
- Yes
Requires Improvement S5 Reinspection Visit 2
Under the earlier framework, inspections gave an overall effectiveness grade.
Read the reports on Ofsted’s website. Source: Ofsted, State-funded school inspections and outcomes: management information.
Attendance
Against Somerset and England, primary schools.
Overall absence
2024/257.0%
- Somerset
- 5.4%
- England
- 5.2%
1.8 percentage points higher than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017/18 | 7.2% | Not published | 4.2% |
| 2018/19 | 6.0% | Not published | 4.0% |
| 2020/21 | 3.2% | Not published | 3.6% |
| 2021/22 | 6.2% | Not published | 6.3% |
| 2022/23 | 7.3% | Not published | 5.9% |
| 2023/24 | 9.0% | 5.9% | 5.5% |
| 2024/25 | 7.0% | 5.4% | 5.2% |
Sessions missed for any reason, as a share of all possible sessions in the school year. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25.
Persistent absence
2024/2521.2%
- Somerset
- 12.8%
- England
- 13.0%
8.2 percentage points higher than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017/18 | 20.6% | Not published | 8.7% |
| 2018/19 | 16.4% | Not published | 8.2% |
| 2020/21 | 5.9% | Not published | 8.8% |
| 2021/22 | 20.3% | Not published | 17.7% |
| 2022/23 | 20.5% | Not published | 16.2% |
| 2023/24 | 25.6% | 14.8% | 14.6% |
| 2024/25 | 21.2% | 12.8% | 13.0% |
Pupils who missed 10% or more of their possible sessions, as a share of pupils. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25.
Severe absence
2024/250.4%
- Somerset
- 1.0%
- England
- 0.9%
0.5 percentage points lower than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017/18 | 1.9% | Not published | 0.4% |
| 2018/19 | 1.2% | Not published | 0.4% |
| 2020/21 | 0.0% | Not published | 0.7% |
| 2021/22 | 1.1% | Not published | 0.6% |
| 2022/23 | 1.9% | Not published | 0.7% |
| 2023/24 | 3.1% | 0.9% | 0.9% |
| 2024/25 | 0.4% | 1.0% | 0.9% |
Pupils who missed 50% or more of their possible sessions, as a share of pupils. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25.
Suspensions and permanent exclusions
Against Somerset and England, primary schools.
Suspensions per 100 pupils
2024/253.51
- Somerset
- 3.60
- England
- 2.47
1.04 higher than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017/18 | 4.46 | Not published | 1.40 |
| 2018/19 | 23.05 | Not published | 1.41 |
| 2019/20 | 1.61 | Not published | 1.00 |
| 2020/21 | 5.74 | Not published | 0.99 |
| 2021/22 | 6.59 | Not published | 1.42 |
| 2022/23 | 9.80 | Not published | 1.81 |
| 2023/24 | 7.82 | 4.02 | 2.27 |
| 2024/25 | 3.51 | 3.60 | 2.47 |
Suspensions in the school year for every 100 pupils on roll. One pupil can be suspended more than once. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, 2024/25.
Permanent exclusions per 100 pupils
2024/250.00
- Somerset
- 0.04
- England
- 0.03
0.03 lower than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017/18 | 0.00 | Not published | 0.03 |
| 2018/19 | 1.23 | Not published | 0.02 |
| 2019/20 | 0.00 | Not published | 0.02 |
| 2020/21 | 0.00 | Not published | 0.01 |
| 2021/22 | 0.73 | Not published | 0.02 |
| 2022/23 | 0.33 | Not published | 0.03 |
| 2023/24 | 0.00 | 0.05 | 0.03 |
| 2024/25 | 0.00 | 0.04 | 0.03 |
Permanent exclusions in the school year for every 100 pupils on roll. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England, 2024/25.
Key stage 2 results
Against Somerset and England, primary schools.
Reading, writing and maths: expected standard
2024/2566%
- Somerset
- 57%
- England
- 63%
3 percentage points higher than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | Not published | Not published | 59% |
| 2022/23 | 39% | 53% | 60% |
| 2023/24 | 58% | 56% | 61% |
| 2024/25 | 66% | 57% | 63% |
| 2025/26 (provisional) | Not published | 60% | 63% |
Pupils at the end of key stage 2 who met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Key stage 2 attainment, 2024/25.
Reading, writing and maths: higher standard
2024/253%
- Somerset
- 7%
- England
- 8%
5 percentage points lower than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | Not published | Not published | 7% |
| 2022/23 | 4% | 7% | 8% |
| 2023/24 | 3% | 7% | 8% |
| 2024/25 | 3% | 7% | 8% |
| 2025/26 (provisional) | Not published | 8% | 9% |
Pupils at the end of key stage 2 who met the higher standard in reading, writing and maths combined. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Key stage 2 attainment, 2024/25.
Pupils
Against Somerset and England, primary schools.
Eligible for free school meals
2024/2521.1%
- Somerset
- 19.5%
- England
- 24.7%
3.6 percentage points lower than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 20.5% | 19.6% | 23.1% |
| 2022/23 | 19.9% | 20.3% | 24.0% |
| 2023/24 | 19.2% | 20.0% | 24.3% |
| 2024/25 | 21.1% | 19.5% | 24.7% |
Pupils known to be eligible for free school meals on census day in January. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
SEN support
2024/2512.6%
- Somerset
- 12.9%
- England
- 15.0%
2.4 percentage points lower than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 7.0% | 11.7% | 13.0% |
| 2022/23 | 5.6% | 11.6% | 13.5% |
| 2023/24 | 10.7% | 12.4% | 14.1% |
| 2024/25 | 12.6% | 12.9% | 15.0% |
Pupils receiving special educational needs support without an education, health and care plan. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Education, health and care plan
2024/251.5%
- Somerset
- 3.2%
- England
- 3.5%
2.0 percentage points lower than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 3.7% | 2.5% | 2.3% |
| 2022/23 | 3.6% | 2.7% | 2.5% |
| 2023/24 | 3.6% | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| 2024/25 | 1.5% | 3.2% | 3.5% |
Pupils with an education, health and care plan. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
First language other than English
2024/2531.0%
- Somerset
- 12.3%
- England
- 23.4%
7.6 percentage points higher than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 23.8% | 8.8% | 21.2% |
| 2022/23 | 27.1% | 10.1% | 22.0% |
| 2023/24 | 30.0% | 11.0% | 22.8% |
| 2024/25 | 31.0% | 12.3% | 23.4% |
Pupils whose first language is known or believed to be other than English. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Teachers
Against Somerset and England, primary schools.
Pupils per qualified teacher
2025/2628.5
- Somerset
- 21.5
- England
- 21.2
7.3 higher than England.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017/18 | 26.0 | Not published | 21.3 |
| 2018/19 | 26.3 | Not published | 21.4 |
| 2019/20 | 24.2 | Not published | 21.4 |
| 2020/21 | 22.9 | Not published | 21.1 |
| 2021/22 | 23.1 | Not published | 21.0 |
| 2022/23 | 24.9 | Not published | 21.1 |
| 2023/24 | 22.2 | 21.5 | 21.2 |
| 2024/25 | 22.2 | 21.4 | 21.3 |
| 2025/26 | 28.5 | 21.5 | 21.2 |
Full-time equivalent pupils for each full-time equivalent qualified teacher. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, School workforce in England, 2025/26.
Teacher sickness absence
2024/253.4 days
- Somerset
- 5.2 days
- England
- 5.0 days
1.6 days lower than England.
Compared with all state-funded schools: DfE publishes this measure for all schools, not by phase.
Show the figures as a table
| Year | This school | Somerset | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017/18 | 4.3 days | Not published | 4.0 days |
| 2018/19 | 12.4 days | Not published | 4.0 days |
| 2019/20 | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| 2020/21 | 3.2 days | Not published | 3.9 days |
| 2021/22 | 2.8 days | Not published | 6.3 days |
| 2022/23 | 4.5 days | 5.7 days | 5.2 days |
| 2023/24 | 3.0 days | 5.4 days | 5.3 days |
| 2024/25 | 3.4 days | 5.2 days | 5.0 days |
Days lost to sickness absence in the school year, averaged across all teachers. Source: Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics, School workforce in England, 2024/25.
Finance
Academies report their accounts as part of their trust, so DfE publishes no school-level balance for this school. The trust’s figures are in DfE’s Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool.
See this school in the Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool
About the school
- Pupils on roll
- 361
- Capacity
- 420
- Type
- Academy sponsor led
- Phase
- Primary
- Age range
- 2 to 11
- Sixth form
- Does not have a sixth form
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Gender
- Mixed
- Trust
- FUTURA LEARNING PARTNERSHIP
- Opened
- 1 September 2014
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Constituency
- Bridgwater
- Special educational needs provision
- SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
- Resourced provision
- Resourced provision
- Deprivation of the area (IDACI)
- Decile 9 of 10 (1 is the most deprived tenth of neighbourhoods)
Address: Kings Drive, Bridgwater, TA6 4FU
Website: www.willowdownprimaryschool.org.uk/
Telephone: 01278558758
Sources and corrections
Every figure on this page names its source and period. This release was built on 20 October 2026.
- Department for Education: Get Information about Schools: establishment data (GIAS establishment extract 2026-10-20)
- Ofsted: State-funded school inspections and outcomes: management information (Latest inspections as at 2026-09-30; All inspections, 2018/19; All inspections, 2019/20; All inspections, 2020/21; All inspections, 2021/22; All inspections, 2022/23; All inspections, 2023/24; All inspections, 2024/25; All inspections, 2025/26)
- Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics: Pupil absence in schools in England (absence-3term-school, 2013/14 to 2024/25 [pinned data set id])
- Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics: Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England (exc-school, 2006/07 to 2024/25 [pinned data set id]; exc-ap-school, 2013/14 to 2024/25 [pinned data set id]; exc-geography, 2006/07 to 2024/25 [pinned data set id]; exc-ap-geography, 2013/14 to 2024/25 [pinned data set id])
- Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics: Key stage 2 attainment (ks2-school, 2022/23 to 2024/25 [pinned data set id]; ks2-geography, 2015/16 to 2025/26 [pinned data set id])
- Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics: Key stage 4 performance (ks4-school, 2023/24 to 2025/26 [pinned data set id]; ks4-geography, 2018/19 to 2025/26 [pinned data set id])
- Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics: Schools, pupils and their characteristics (School census, January 2022 (performance tables, 2021 to 2022); School census, January 2023 (performance tables, 2022 to 2023); School census, January 2024 (performance tables, 2023 to 2024); School census, January 2025 (performance tables, 2024 to 2025))
- Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics: School workforce in England (ptr-school, 2010/11 to 2025/26 [pinned data set id]; ptr-geography, 2010/11 to 2025/26 [pinned data set id]; sickness-school, 2009/10 to 2024/25 [pinned data set id]; sickness-geography, 2009/10 to 2024/25 [pinned data set id])
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: English indices of deprivation 2025: Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (English indices of deprivation 2025, File 7 (2021 LSOAs))
Spotted something wrong? Report a correction with the school’s URN (140220). Fixes go out in the next weekly release.