WHAT? WHERE?

Luxuriating in 110 acres of park and woodland in the heart of West Berkshire is top senior girls’ day and boarding school Downe House. It was founded in 1907 by Miss Olive Willis to create a community of girls who weren’t expected to behave like boys. Its OG home was in the village of Downe in Kent before it relocated to its current hilltop site (an old cloisters) in 1922 – bringing the chapel with it brick by brick.

On this vast and immaculate (props to the grounds team) school site you’ll find a lovely mix of old and new. The charming period buildings and pretty courtyard and boarding houses sit alongside big set piece structures such as the light-filled Murray Centre, Performing Arts Centre and Sport Centre, and beautiful woodland. Don’t be surprised to see muntjac deer and any of the 14 dogs mooching around.

Downe House is a relatively small school in numbers, with around 580 girls between 11-18 years, 180 of those in Sixth Form, and class sizes of 12-18. Boarding is huge, with Full, Weekly and Flexi (4-day) available. But in an attempt to have broader appeal – particularly to local families – a day house is being created for pupils who head home each night.

FACILITIES

It’s almost easier to list what this school doesn’t have but, you know, it would be a very short list. Downe House has deep pockets and generous alumni, and it shows. Not many schools boast their own French chateau or a skateboarding ramp.

SPORT

Lacrosse and netball are the major sports here – but hockey is growing rapidly. Tennis is played year-round and cricket and athletics feature in the summer months. Sport is strongly encouraged at Downe House, and, to that end, there are 5 lacrosse pitches, floodlit astroturf for hockey and tennis, 7 netball courts, 10 hard tennis courts, 25m heated swimming pool, 3 squash courts, dance studio, gym, spin bikes, and even a skateboarding ramp (built for a competitive rider). Tennis is huge with more than half the girls having private lessons.

Exhausted yet? Deep breaths – there’s more to raise your heart rate. Swimming, triathlon, horse riding, golf, basketball, fencing, climbing, gymnastics, badminton, football, skiing and paddle boarding are all on offer. There’s a lot of healthy competition with no less than 14 lacrosse teams slugging it out. The team to beat? Wycombe Abbey. There’s a lot of very good silverware-seeking sports women, but the emphasis here is on ‘sport for all’, hence the breadth in Downe House’s sports offering.

CREATIVE ARTS

Join the arty party, because creativity is in Downe House’s DNA. The stand-alone, 500-seat Performing Arts Centre includes hydraulic stage, lighting and sound deck – and there are plenty of opportunities for the girls to step into the spotlight and let their inner Zendaya rip on stage. House music is very competitive – famous adjudicators have included Sir Tim Rice, Alexander Armstrong and Geraldine James. And the lower school musicals and whole school productions are highlights of the school calendar. Recent productions include Chicago, Fame Jr and Cinderella. GCSE and A Level Drama are both offered.

The Music department is a vibrant, buzzy area of the school with concert space, classrooms and practice rooms. Just over half of pupils learn an instrument which is actually a little lower than average but suggests that there’s a core of very dedicated musicians here. You can expect a wide variety of ensembles, including Symphony Orchestra, Big Band and Samba Band, six choirs as well as smaller chamber and vocal ensembles including jazz, pop and rock groups. The Music block is on the development to-do list, so watch this space.

Don’t think for a second art is a Cinderella subject, there is so much talent and creativity. Ceramics, fine art, textiles, photography and 3D design are all taught to GCSE and A Level. And beyond the classroom the girls can learn jewellery making, knitting, circus skills and crafts. The quality work being exhibited for Founders Day blew our minds.

SCHOOL

The new state-of-the-art Murray Centre is the jewel in Downe House’s crown – a multifunctional space with 250-seat auditorium, library, learning spaces, seminar room and a café with the most high-tech coffee machine ever. Who doesn’t love to swipe left for your flat white.

There’s also a science block with dedicated biology, chemistry and physics labs, a beautiful chapel, and a cookery studio from where eight-week Leiths Cookery Courses are taught. A new Day house is in the pipeline as well as a STEAM focused Music and Maths block.

Downe House reach stretches beyond Berkshire to schools in Riyadh and Muscat, and the Global Exchange and Global Internships give the girls the opportunity to spread their wings and study abroad. The Global Internships are available to Sixth Form students – four recently returned from Washington where they were setting up a conference, others were placed at a Human Rights Law firm in Canada, while others headed off for work placements in France and Dubai. Very cool.

Sixth Formers enjoy the privilege of their outdoor bar area and pizza oven, plus a dedicated boarding house.

ACADEMICS

Academically selective, there’s no Common Entrance but girls sit ISEB pre-test in Y6 for entry at 11+ and 13+ and attend an assessment day packed with team building, group activities, tour, interview and a creative writing test. The focus is on fit, not on filling the school with mega brains – but be under no illusion, if your daughter comes here, she’s almost pre-destined to leave with a bagful of top grades.

The results are consistently excellent. In 2023, 95% of girls achieved 9-6 (A*+-B) at GCSE, 81% received 9-7s and an impressive 58% hit the top marks jackpot with 9-8s. A level results come with bragging rights – 84% A*/B. Unsurprisingly, destinations tend to be Russell Group unis, Oxbridge, and the top unis around the world. The focus here is on ensuring the girls excel, have opportunities, and aim high. There’s a lot to like about the well-rounded, ‘can do anything’ mentality.

SEND

Embraces neurodiversity wherever your daughter is on the sliding scale of learning support. The head of department has worked hard to inform pupils, staff and parents that there’s no ‘right’ way of thinking, learning and behaving. There’s no stigma.

PASTORAL CARE

Pastoral provision here seems very, very strong to our eye. There’s a lot of focus on good mental health and wellbeing. Alongside the Director of Pupil Wellbeing, the house mistresses are trained to quickly spot those who need a hug or extra support. Plus, there are counsellors and life coaches if needed. The Finding Balance programme aims to develop healthy habits through yoga, mindfulness coaching and meditation, and Wellbeing Champions offer stress and sleep strategies as well as pampering treats.

The school uses AS Tracking – an online assessment tool designed to track pupils’ wellbeing – to help guide staff’s pastoral interactions and interventions. Plus there is an on-campus health centre which is staffed 24hrs a day by a team of nine nurses, GPs visit four mornings a week, and there is a physiotherapist to help with any sporting injuries.

BOARDING

Downe House has always been a boarding school first and foremost – but times are changing. From 2025/26, full, weekly and flexi boarding (4 days) will be available and day pupils will have their own house for study and down time.

Currently, 95% of girls board full time and the facilities are some of the best we have seen. We had a proper nose around a junior boarding house – and it’s swish. The quality of the fitted wood furniture and cleverly designed study areas were impressive. Common rooms are large, with squishy sofas, large TV and games consoles.

The Harry Styles and Taylor Swift posters had all been packed away ready for summer during our visit, but the vibe is homely, and the staff go above and beyond to ensure there’s a gentle hum of happiness. Y7, Y8 and Sixth Form board with their year groups. From Y9 to Y11 girls are mixed up in the boarding houses.

Lots of planned fun for girls to fill their spare time, from cinema and shopping trips to baking and bowling. Birthdays are a big deal, and the houses go all out with small gifts, special breakfasts and cakes. For the lower year groups, it’s a bit like living in a hotel, less so when you’re in Sixth Form – laundry is on their to-do list.

THE HEAD

Down House School head teacher Emma McKendrick

Head Emma McKendrick has been in charge since 1997 – a staggering 27 years. We would describe her as headmistressy – think pearl necklace, elegant bouclé jacket and pencil skirt – but it’s not all about the looks. McKendrick has a refreshing, no nonsense and respectful way with the girls. She’s interested in their lives, makes a point of knowing the pupils in her charge and their families. The woman is a legend around these parts, and you’ll struggle to find a bad word said.

The secret to her success? Common sense, good manners, she’s not remotely phased or intimidated by teenage girls knowing when to give them space to work things out, how to squeeze the best out of them, while maintaining a sense of calm. You don’t get to stay in the top job of a top school for nearly 30 years if you’re not delivering the educational goods.

Despite her traditional vibe, McKendrick’s certainly not old fashioned.
A lot has changed in education, but Downe House’s values remain constant – committed to looking after the individual, the emphasis on the community and a sense of ambition, with a side order of kindness. But education has moved on and there have been significant changes to pastoral care – the emphasis on wellbeing, supporting young women and what they’re navigating. “It’s very different to what they were navigating even 10 years ago,” she says. “We have to make sure they develop the tools to look after themselves physically, mentally and emotionally.”

She enjoys the challenge that the threat of AI brings to education, VAT on school fees could help improve the sector and is laser focussed on preparing the girls for the very best start in life through the Global Internship and Global Exchange programmes, mini-MBA (Master of Business Admin), Microsoft qualifications, leadership coaching and Leith’s cookery courses. It’s more about being themselves and grabbing opportunities than it is about perfectionism – and the pressure to look or act a certain way is dramatically dialled right down because at a girls’ school they’re never defined by their gender.

It’s rare to find a head who has been in post for nearly 30 years, but McKendrick has no plans to skip off into the sunset just yet. The campus is still be developed – there’s lots of focus on STEAM and a redesigned Maths and Music block is on the cards. It’s worth noting, Downe House has just announced it will be broadening its boarding provision to offer full, weekly and flexi boarding as well as a day house which should appeal to more local families.

QUIRKS

Downe House School Berkshire french chateau

How does a term at a French chateau, grab you? Y8 head over to Downe House’s very own 18th century Chateau de Sauveterre and immerse themselves in French life. Lessons are mostly in French (apart from English and Maths) and there are plenty of sorties into nearby villages. Trés magnifique.

Love a celeb alumnus? Broadcaster and queen of the Paris Olympics, Clare Balding, is an old girl. As is actress and comedian Miranda Hart, Guardian columnist and The Rest Is Entertainment podcast host, Marina Hyde, designer Sophie Conran and actress Geraldine James (to name a few).

The school’s chapel was transported brick by brick from the Downe House’s original Kent location to Berkshire.

We may be pushing our luck to call it a quirk, but the breadth of modern languages is quite incredible – Chinese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Classical Greek and Latin, with options to take Arabic, Japanese and Russian at GCSE and A Level.

INSPECTION REPORT

Downe House’s most recent ISI report was published in Sep 2021. Read it here.

MOBILE PHONE POLICY

Mobile phones are permitted and there’s a common-sense approach to when and where the girls can use them. The youngest boarders are allowed their phone for 20mins a day, all year groups cannot use their phones in class (unless the teacher permits it) or at mealtimes.

TRANSPORT

School buses will be dispatched locally where there is demand and there is a service to and from London. You’re not too far from public transport with mainline train stations in Thatcham and Newbury that run direct to Reading and London Paddington. If you’re flying into Heathrow, it’s a zippy one-hour trip by car down the M4.

FEES

Fees are currently at the upper end – day fees: £11,196 per term and full boarding £20,304. Bursaries are available at all entry points and Downe House’s Centenary bursaries, which cover up to 110% off the day fee for talented local pupils.

WORD ON THE GROUND

There’s a lot of talk about happy, balanced girls. Parents feel the snobbery you get at some top school is dialled right down at Downe House which has a more low-key vibe. The emphasis is on balance – academically strong, but supportive and caring. The changes to the fee structure and more modern boarding have gone down very well and initiatives like the Global Internship and Exchange programmes are highly praised. Some prospective parents we spoke to love headmistress Emma McKendrick, but were left a bit wobbly not knowing if Downe House has a succession plan. But McKendrick has no plans to leave and there are very few schools who would make that kind of sensitive information public knowledge.

THE MUDDY VERDICT

Good for: Bright, ambitious, curious, go-getter girls who thrive on competition. STEM, science, and creative arts are strong, but there’s great opportunity across all subjects and interests.

Not for: Those who struggle with a busy school life and a pacy curriculum. The workload can be a bit of shock.

See for yourself? Be my guest! Check out their upcoming Open Days here.

Downe House, Hermitage Rd, Cold Ash, Thatcham RG18 9JJ. Tel: 01635 200 286.

Downe House School, Thatcham

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