A secondary school just outside Salisbury has snagged the title of Wiltshire’s happiest school, according to some fresh data dropped by The Sunday Times. The Trafalgar School at Downton is one of five schools in the Salisbury area that got a shoutout after the newspaper crunched Ofsted numbers from 2020 to 2025 to figure out how stoked parents are about their kids’ vibes at school.
Basically, they gave most schools a score based on the percentage of parents who said their kid’s happy there, and Trafalgar totally crushed it, topping the whole county with a dope 97% happiness rating. The school’s crew says it’s a big pat on the back for the last decade of effort they’ve put into making the place feel like a second home for students.
Deputy head Rachel Faulkner was hyped about it, saying, “This is freaking awesome! It’s proof we’re nailing what we set out to do. Parents and visitors always tell us the school’s got this super welcoming vibe, which is so cool to hear. Walk in, and you’ll see our students acting like a big family—like a Year 11 kid helping a lost Year 7 find their way. Newbies joining mid-year get that warm welcome from the others, and it just keeps the good vibes going.”
The school’s on Breamore Road and got a solid “good” from Ofsted in their latest check-up in July 2023. The inspector was all about it, writing, “Trafalgar’s legit a community school. The leaders keep it real and fair, and it’s getting better every day. Kids dig the family feel, keep lessons chill and focused, and behave like champs. A lot of them are gunning to do well and take pride in their work, especially when teachers push them hard. They feel safe here, and they’re not wrong.”
Rachel added, “I had a chat with some parents the other day that could’ve been dicey, but one of them was like, ‘This school’s amazing, they really take care of our kids,’ and that just made my day.”
The original story’s over at the Salisbury Journal. What do you think?
https://www.salisburyjournal.co.uk/news/25020036.trafalgar-school-downton-named-happiest-wiltshire