Willowbrook Primary School, Trowbridge

Ofsted's report card from its 2 June 2026 inspection grades Willowbrook Primary School on 7 areas: 2 expected standard and 5 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders, including leaders in the trust, have worked hard to ensure that Willowbrook is an inclusive school."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have developed a broad personal development and wellbeing programme that goes beyond the academic subjects."

Achievement - Needs attention. "There is too much variability in how well some pupils are learning the curriculum."

Attendance and behaviour - Needs attention. "The attendance of some pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, is too low."

Curriculum and teaching - Needs attention. "Over time, the teaching of the curriculum has not been consistently effective."

Early years - Needs attention. "Children in the early years do not learn all of the curriculum as well as they should to be well prepared for their next stage."

Leadership and governance - Needs attention. "Willowbrook has been through a significant period of change."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders, including trust leaders, should continue to provide the school with robust support and challenge, checking the impact of the school's work to address its key priorities, so that this leads to rapid and sustained improvements"; "Leaders should ensure staff regularly check what pupils know and remember so that pupils build their key knowledge securely in lessons and any gaps are quickly identified and addressed"; "Leaders must ensure that the early years curriculum is consistently well delivered in all areas of learning and for all children, ensuring that every child has the skills and knowledge they need to do well in the next stage of their education"; "Leaders need to ensure that pupils with significant gaps in handwriting, spelling and punctuation are given the support they need to become accurate and fluent writers across the curriculum"; "Leaders should ensure that they reduce the number of pupils who are regularly absent or arrive late to school, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities".

From the headteacher's welcome: "Welcome to Willowbrook Primary School. It is my pleasure and privilege to be Head of this small school set in the heart of Trowbridge. We are a caring, inclusive school where children are at the heart of everything we do."

The school runs a breakfast club from 8:00am and after-school care, from £3 per session.

In 2025, 56% of Year 6 pupils at Willowbrook Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 38% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 75% and 73% in Wiltshire and 77% and 75% across England.

Results fell from 56% in reading and 56% in maths in 2024.

With small year groups, a few pupils can move these figures by several points.

For September 2026 entry, 6 families put Willowbrook Primary School as their first choice and 17 named it as one of their preferences, for 6 places offered. That is one first choice for every place. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to Willowbrook Primary School are Holbrook Primary School (0.4 miles, Good, 74% reading, 79% maths); Newtown Community Primary School (0.5 miles, Good, 57% reading, 63% maths); St John's Catholic Primary School, Trowbridge (0.7 miles, Good, 82% reading, 68% maths); and Paxcroft Primary School (0.8 miles).

Each of them had higher 2025 results than Willowbrook Primary School.

Willowbrook Primary School is one of 21 schools run by Acorn Education Trust, an academy trust.

62.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 24 pupils (28.2%) received SEN support and 5 (5.9%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is speech, language and communication needs.

Willowbrook Primary School had 10 teachers in 2026, one for every 10 pupils: more teachers per pupil than a typical primary school, at about one for every 20.

The nearest railway station is Trowbridge Rail Station, about 1170 metres away (roughly a 15-minute walk).

10 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Oasis School (se-bound), 60 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 270 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Wiltshire (34), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Willowbrook Primary School issued 19 suspensions, 20 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to Willowbrook Primary School are The Clarendon Academy (0.7 miles), The John of Gaunt School (0.8 miles) and St Augustine's Catholic College (0.9 miles).