At High Down, we are committed to creating a warm, inclusive and supportive environment where every child is encouraged to thrive and reach their full potential. We strive for excellence through a carefully designed curriculum that captures children’s interests, inspires curiosity and provides engaging, purposeful learning experiences.

We believe that children achieve their best when home and school work closely together. We value strong relationships with our families and actively encourage parents and carers to be involved in their child’s learning and development, helping to make every child’s educational journey a positive and rewarding experience.

What Makes High Down Schools Special? 

Our Supportive and Inclusive Community

We are proud to foster strong, positive relationships with our children, families and the wider community. Our dedicated staff work together to nurture every child, broaden their opportunities, inspire high aspirations and empower them to enjoy a happy, fulfilling and meaningful life.

"Whilst High Down demonstrates sound academic performance, what makes the school special is the strong pastoral care and friendly community." – Parent Survey May 26

"My son often comes home feeling rewarded or pleased with himself. Stickers, certificates, sitting on the gold table all give him a sense of achievement that is lovely to see. Inclusive sports have impressed me as my son is not the most athletic but I know he is getting opportunity and careful support and encouragement." - Parent Survey May 26

"Children who have different learning needs are catered for, really good creative opportunities alongside core academic subjects." – Parent Survey May 2026

Our Passionate and Dedicated Staff 

Our dedicated team of professionals works collaboratively to plan and deliver high-quality learning experiences for every child. We are committed to ongoing professional development, ensuring that our practice remains innovative, engaging and effective, while responding to the diverse needs, strengths and interests of all our pupils.

"The teachers know the children so well and understand all their needs, therefore trying their best to meet the needs of each child with the resources they have. The teachers always have time to talk to you as a parent." - Parent Survey May 26

"Teachers who care and support our children." – Parent Survey May 26

"The school feels like a genuinely caring place with the children always being put first." – Parent Survey May 26

"My children have both formed positive relationships with staff, are engaged with their learning and happy at school. Teachers and support staff really seem to care about the children and enjoy being around them, which creates a lovely atmosphere within the school." – Parent Survey May 26

"I’ve been very impressed with the teachers we have had in both infants and juniors—the quality of teaching and care is excellent. They give lots of praise and celebrate small academic achievements, which really helps to build confidence. I know funding and resources are limited and I honestly think the teaching staff are doing a great job despite these challenges." - Parent Survey May 26

"The teachers are excellent, it's supportive, inclusive and fun. Our children have really shone being at this school! I'll be so sad when our younger two leave." – Parent Survey May 26

Our Engaging and Comprehensive Curriculum

At High Down, we carefully consider both what our children learn and how they learn best. Our broad, inspiring and ambitious curriculum, rooted in the National Curriculum, is designed to equip every pupil with the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to succeed in life. Learning is thoughtfully planned from year to year, building on prior knowledge and experiences. Clear progression across all subjects enables children to deepen their understanding, develop their skills and become confident, knowledgeable learners.

"Learning about the wider curriculum has been an advantage to our son in particular who has really enjoyed and learned a lot from 'topic' style learning. Pastoral care has been good and all children are valued and celebrated. Music tuition has been a great asset as our son plays violin and really enjoys the orchestra." – Parent Survey May 26

"There are a good range of trips offered to the students, classrooms feel positive."- Parent Survey May 26

"Good support from the teachers, interesting curriculum." – Parent Survey May 26

"My children are happy. I feel the teachers at Highdown work hard to give the children lots of different experiences to support the curriculum." – Parent Survey May 26

"The school offers the children a chance to perform and to expand their knowledge around the subjects they learn." – Parent Survey May 26

Our Nurture Ethos and Focus on Wellbeing

We are proud to have been awarded the National Nurturing Schools Award by Nurture UK in 2025, recognising our commitment to nurturing the social, emotional and mental health of every pupil. We place children’s wellbeing at the heart of school life, creating a positive, caring environment where every child feels safe, valued and supported. Through a range of nurturing approaches and initiatives, we help our pupils develop confidence, resilience and the emotional wellbeing they need to thrive and be ready to learn.

"My children always feel able to speak to a member of staff if they feel something is wrong, and equally they are supported to understand when they have done something wrong." - Parent Survey May 26

"The staff have gone out of their way to support me and my daughter." – Parent Survey May 26

"Pastoral care at High Down is excellent. We have benefited so much as a family from the proactive and loving care provided to our children. It's also a school which under new headship particularly seems to be willing to try new things and make changes to benefit the children overall. The new soft start for the Juniors is an excellent example of this." - Parent Survey May 26

"... all the children feel valued and welcomed. All feel safe within the school community. The celebration of pupil achievement is great. Pastoral care is really amazing." – Parent Survey May 26

Parental Engagement

We believe that children thrive when school and homework together. We value strong partnerships with parents and carers, keeping families well-informed and encouraging their active involvement in school life. Together, we create a positive, supportive community that enables every pupil to flourish.

"Excellent communication."- Parent Survey May 26

"...teachers are really good communicators and give parents the time when requested and respond really promptly and show they really care about the students." – Parent Survey May 26

"Communicates well and ensures parents are aware of all the extra curricular activities on offer not just at the school but also in the local area – feeling like this is also a school that has the local community in mind." - Parent Survey May 26

Extra Curricular Opportunities, Our wonderful PSA and Wraparound Care (Future Stars)

Beyond the classroom, we provide a wide range of enriching extracurricular activities that encourage children to explore their interests, discover new passions and develop a variety of skills and talents. We are also fortunate to have a strong and committed PSA, who play an important role in bringing our school community together by organising a variety of events throughout the year, including movie nights, discos, summer fayres and our much-loved Portishead Carnival school float. We also offer high-quality wraparound care, provided by Future Stars, from 7:30am before school until 6:00pm after school, giving families flexible and reliable childcare options.

"Great options for clubs and wrap around care."

"Wraparound care is excellent and flexible."

"Excellent Future Stars Breakfast and After-school clubs. The team are wonderfully welcoming and kind. This provides great peace of mind and enables us to coordinate work hours with the school day." – Parent Survey May 26

"The school PSA is brilliant – extracurricular activities are superb." – Parent Survey May 26

"Great breakfast club – well run and a good variety of food and activities." – Parent Survey May 26

"Wraparound care is also excellent; the staff are great with the children, offer a wide range of activities, and are always available to listen and support them if they want to talk." - Parent Survey May 26

"Wrap-around care is a vital support for working parents and a brilliant provision. Clubs are also valued."- Parent Survey May 26

"Community spirit. Range of extracurricular celebrations and activity opportunities for children to enjoy taking part in both within school times and outside."-Parent Survey May 26

Come and Visit Our Wonderful School

We understand that choosing the right school for your child is an important decision, and we warmly welcome prospective families to visit us and experience our vibrant, friendly school community first-hand. A visit is a wonderful opportunity to meet our dedicated staff, explore our inspiring setting and learning environment, and discover what makes our school such a special place to learn and grow.

To arrange a visit, please contact the school office. We look forward to welcoming you and showing you all that our school has to offer.

If you are considering a place for your child, please visit our Admissions page for further information about how to apply.