Kingdown School
84%
Capacity
1,403
Pupils
1.1x
Demand
About Kingdown School
Kingdown School sits within Wiltshire's secondary landscape as a mixed, non-selective state school for pupils aged 11 to 18. In the local authority, it ranks 12th out of 26 schools of its type, placing it just above the middle of the pack. The top-performing peers in the area are South Wilts Grammar School, Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School, and St Laurence School, all of which post higher Progress 8 scores. Kingdown's own Progress 8 score of 0.13 is comfortably above the Wiltshire average of -0.01, meaning pupils here make slightly more progress than their peers across the county. The school is led by headteacher Helen Carpenter and has a capacity of 1,668, with 1,403 pupils currently on roll. It is oversubscribed: for the 2025/26 intake, 245 families applied for 213 places, and 203 first-preference offers were made. That level of demand suggests the school holds a solid reputation locally, even if it isn't among the very highest-ranked schools in the authority.
Academically, Kingdown delivers solid, if not spectacular, results. At Key Stage 4, the school's Attainment 8 score is 46.4, and 67.9% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in both English and maths, dropping to 45.3% at grade 5 or above. The EBacc entry rate is low at 15%, and only 13.5% of pupils entered the EBacc achieved a grade 4 or above. Progress 8 is positive at 0.13, with the strongest progress in open subjects (0.23) and EBacc subjects (0.15), while English and maths progress are close to zero. At sixth form, the picture is stronger: the school's value-added score of 0.15 is rated 'Above average', and pupils achieved an average of 32.11 points per entry, equivalent to a C+ grade. The best three A-levels averaged 34.11 points, also a C+. With 92 pupils in the sixth form, it's a sizeable provision that adds genuine value compared to the national average.
The school offers a wide range of facilities, including a theatre, swimming pool, tennis courts, science labs, and a dedicated sixth form centre. Sports provision is broad, with rugby, rowing, gymnastics, and martial arts among the options, and there are clubs covering everything from coding and drama to the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and Young Enterprise. Kingdown also has a comprehensive SEND offer, with provisions for autistic spectrum disorder, dyslexia, speech and language needs, and social, emotional and mental health support. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection in 2022 confirmed it remains Good, following an earlier Outstanding rating in 2008. For families in Wiltshire looking for a large, inclusive secondary with a strong sixth form and a good range of extracurriculars, Kingdown is a reliable choice that outperforms the local average on progress, even if it doesn't reach the heights of the grammar schools nearby.
Key Details
| School Type | Secondary (State) |
| Age Range | 11 to 18 years |
| Gender | Mixed |
| Religious Character | Does not apply |
| Address | Woodcock Road, Warminster, Wiltshire, BA12 9DR |
| Headteacher | Helen Carpenter |
| Local Authority | Wiltshire |
| Number of Pupils | 1,403 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) | 20.6% |
| School Capacity | 1,403 / 1,668 (84% full) |
| Sixth Form | Yes |
Ofsted Inspection Breakdown
2 Nov 2022Overall Effectiveness
Good
Latest inspection (2 Nov 2022): School remains Good
Source: Ofsted, 10 Sept 2013. Ratings: 1=Outstanding, 2=Good, 3=Requires Improvement, 4=Inadequate.
League Table Position
Based on Progress 8 (+0.13)
1249th of 3,141
Nationally
114th of 306
In South West
12th of 26
In Wiltshire
Source: Classpot analysis of DfE Progress 8 data
GCSE Results
2023/24Progress 8 Score
Students make similar progress to students nationally with the same starting point
Attainment 8 (vs national avg)
Students achieve significantly higher grades than the national average
Source: Department for Education, 2023/24. Progress 8 compares to students with similar Key Stage 2 results.
A-Level Results
2023/24Average Points per Entry
Value Added Score
Best 3 A-Levels (Average)
'21/22
36.9
'22/23
33.9
'23/24
32.1
Source: Department for Education 16-18 Performance Tables, 2023/24. Value Added measures progress compared to students with similar GCSE results.
Where GCSE leavers go
2022/2355%
of GCSE leavers stay on for sixth form at this school (cohort: 255 pupils).
- School sixth form (stay)55%
- FE college29%
- Employment5%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Not sustained4%
- Sixth form college1%
95% of leavers had a sustained destination 6 months on.
Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance, KS4 pupil destinations 2022/23 (revised). Only state-funded schools are required to report.
Where school leavers go
2022/2337%
of A-level / Level 3 leavers go to higher education (cohort: 127 pupils).
Top-tier university progression
21%
Russell Group
18%
Top-third HE
3%
Oxford / Cambridge
Percentages of the whole cohort (not just HE-goers). Russell Group = 24 elite research universities. Top-third HE = top by mean UCAS tariff.
- Employment45%
- University (HE)37%
- Not sustained7%
- Apprenticeship4%
- Further education3%
- Other education1%
Sources: DfE 16-18 destination measures (broad bucket); DfE KS5 student destinations file (Russell Group / top-third HE / Oxbridge). Level 3 cohort. “Sustained” means the pupil was in education, apprenticeship or employment for 6 months in the year following completion.
Sixth form A-level subjects
2022/23- Biology31
- Mathematics26
- Chemistry20
- Psychology20
- Film Studies19
- Sociology19
- Design and Technology (Product Design)18
- Art and Design (Fine Art)15
- Government and Politics13
- Physics13
- English Literature11
- Geography11
Subjects with at least 3 entries in 2022/23. Number shown next to each subject is the number of pupils who sat that A-level exam — a rough indicator of subject popularity at this school. Source: DfE Compare School & College Performance.
SEND Support
Source: Department for Education, 2024/25. Support availability based on current student population.
Facilities
8Facilities may vary. Contact the school for current availability.
Extracurriculars
17Sports
Clubs & Activities
Activities may vary by term. Contact the school for current offerings.
Admissions
2025/26Oversubscribed213
245
Balanced
Applications roughly match available places
203 families put this school as their 1st choice (83% of all applications)
Source: Department for Education, 2025/26. Data reflects national offer day applications and offers.
School day
Teaching hours
08:30 – 15:00
Source: kingdown.wilts.sch.uk. Extracted automatically — confirm with the school before relying on these times.
Class profile
2024/25Better than 75% of schools in England.
Better than half of schools in England.
Lower is generally better — fewer pupils per teacher or per class means more individual attention. Sources: DfE School Workforce Census & Schools, pupils and their characteristics, 2024/25.
Pupils & demographics
2024/25Below the national average (25%).
Lower than the national median (10%) — mostly English as first language.
Ethnic background
- White British79.5%
- Mixed3.5%
- White (other)3.0%
- Asian1.8%
- Black0.5%
Source: DfE Schools, pupils and their characteristics (2024/25). Percentages may not sum to 100% — pupils classified as “unclassified”, “refused” or minor categories are not shown.
Attendance & Behaviour
2024/2575% of schools in England do better than this.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
Pupils missing 10% or more of sessions.
75% of schools in England do better than this.
A pupil temporarily sent home for behaviour.
Like most schools in England, no pupils were permanently excluded this year.
Ranks vs all state-funded schools in England. Source: DfE Pupil absence in schools & Suspensions and permanent exclusions.
Catchment & Local Competition
No catchment data published for this school
The dashed grey ring is a generic 1-mile reference area — it's not an admission boundary. Real catchment depends on year, demand, and council criteria. We currently have real data for about 6% of UK schools and are actively expanding the database.
⚠ This school is oversubscribed — without published cutoff data we can't show how far places reach. Check your council's admissions page.
Schools within 1 mile (reference area)
1 mile is a fixed reference, not this school's catchment.
5
Total schools
5
Oversubscribed
4
Primary
Don’t use the dashed grey ring as a catchment boundary — it’s a reference area for counting nearby schools only. Real admission boundaries depend on year-by-year demand and council criteria; ask the school or council for authoritative info.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Kingdown School
Helpful Guides for Parents
Ofsted Ratings Explained
Understand the 4 Ofsted ratings and what they mean
Understanding Progress 8
Learn how Progress 8 measures pupil progress from primary to GCSE
SEN & EHCP: A Parent's Guide
Understanding SEN support, EHC Plans and your legal rights
Understanding School Catchment Areas
How admission distances work and tips for maximising your choices
Contact Information
Woodcock Road, Warminster
Wiltshire, BA12 9DR
Journey to School
Journey times are estimates based on current conditions. Actual times may vary.
Opening Hours
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