Downside School
Radstock, BA3 4RJ
- Phase
- Independent schools
- School type
- Other independent school
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- Roman Catholic
- Head Master
- Mr Michael Randall
- Boarding
- Boarding school
- Constituency
- Frome and East Somerset
- Setting
- Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city
- Capacity
- 420
- Pupils on roll
- 249
- URN
- 123910
- Local authority
- Somerset
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01761235100
About this school
Downside School is a Roman Catholic independent school in Radstock. It teaches children aged 11 to 18 and has 249 pupils on roll.
Ofsted has not yet inspected Downside School under its current framework. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Seeing a school for yourself shows what no page can, so arrange a visit before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Downside School has not been inspected by Ofsted yet. It opened in its current form in January 1945, and new or converted schools usually wait a few years for their first inspection.
Exam results
Key stage 4 (GCSEs)
| Measure | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of key stage 4 | 65 | 68 | 59 |
| Attainment 8 score | 28.7 | 32.3 | 32.7 |
| Progress 8 score | - | - | - |
| Grade 5 or above in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Grade 4 or above in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Entered the English Baccalaureate | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| English Baccalaureate average point score | 2.9 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
Progress 8 is paused nationally for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 school years. Those pupils sat no key stage 2 tests during the Covid pandemic, so there is no starting point to measure progress from. A blank figure here is not missing school data.
Trends over time
How Downside School has moved over recent years against the local and national picture. Every figure is shown in the table beneath its chart.
| Year | This school | Somerset average | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 28.7 | 36.1 | 39.8 |
| 2023/24 | 32.3 | 34 | 39.5 |
| 2024/25 | 32.7 | 32.3 | 39 |
Department for Education KS4 performance data, published school results.
| Year | This school |
|---|---|
| 2022/23 | 353 |
| 2023/24 | 334 |
| 2024/25 | 273 |
School census, spring count each academic year.
School context
From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.
- Free school meals (last 6 years)
- 0%
- Pupils with an EHC plan
- 0
- Pupils on SEN support
- 95
Location
Nearby schools
-
Finding Futures2.3 miles
Other types · Radstock
-
Fosse Way School2.3 miles
Academies · Bath
-
Newbury Manor School2.7 miles
Special schools · Frome
-
The Universal Farm2.8 miles
Special schools · Midsomer Norton
-
All Hallows School4.6 miles
Independent schools · Shepton Mallet
Other schools in Radstock
- Bishop Henderson Church of England Primary School Primary
- Chewton Mendip Church of England VA Primary School Primary
- Hemington Primary School Primary
- Kilmersdon Church School Primary
- Leigh On Mendip School Primary
- Longvernal Primary School Primary
- Midsomer Norton Primary School Primary
- Oakhill Church School Primary
- St Benedict's Catholic Primary School Primary
- St John's CofE Primary School Primary
- St Mary's Church of England Primary School Primary
- St Nicholas Church School Primary
Common questions
- What year groups does Downside School teach?
- Downside School teaches children aged 11 to 18. It is an independent school in Radstock.
- Who is the head master of Downside School?
- The head master of Downside School is Mr Michael Randall, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has Downside School been inspected?
- Ofsted has not inspected Downside School under its current framework, so no current judgement is shown. That is common for newer schools and is not a mark against a school.
- How big is Downside School?
- Downside School has 249 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 11 to 18.
- Is Downside School full?
- Downside School has capacity for 420 pupils and 249 on roll (59%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
- Is Downside School a faith school?
- Yes. Downside School is designated Roman Catholic.
- How have Downside School's results changed over recent years?
- Its Attainment 8 score was 28.7 in 2022/23 and 32.7 in 2024/25. The year-by-year figures, alongside local and national averages, are charted in the trends section on this page.
- What are Downside School's exam results?
- Where the Department for Education has published them, Downside School's key stage results are shown in the results section on this page, with the last three years so you can see the trend rather than a single year.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 24 July 2026.