Notable Academic Facilities

Downe House is continually investing in its academic environment, with a new specialist Maths block due to open, designed to support independent learning, small group sessions and lecture-style teaching. This development will provide Sixth Form students with a more university-style experience, helping to prepare them for higher education.

Wellbeing & Pastoral Care

Pastoral care is central to life at Downe House, with a strong focus on individual support, wellbeing and personal development. Girls are supported by 1-1 tutors, house teams and specialist staff who work closely together to ensure every student feels known, valued and able to thrive both academically and personally.

Leavers' Attainment

Academically, they encourage ambition and ignite a love of learning through a supportive community. Although personal triumphs and individual achievements are the most celebrated within the School, the foundation of academic success is evident from their GCSE and A Level results. In 2025, at I/GCSE 81% of grades were 9-7, and remarkably 66% achieved grades 9-8 (A**-A*). At A Level, 83% of pupils achieved A* to B grades with the A*to A grade percentage remaining consistently high, at 54%. These outstanding results enabled their girls to secure places at some of the world’s top universities.

Leavers' Destinations

Over 20% of their girls are heading to Oxford and the top London universities to study a remarkable breadth of courses, including: Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry at Imperial, History at Oxford and Law at LSE. This is also reflected in the courses their students are off to study at other destinations including St Andrews for Medicine, Manchester University for Liberal Arts, Bristol for English and Russian as well as Durham for Business and Management to name but a few.

As well as leading universities across the length and breadth of the UK, some students are heading to prestigious destinations across the world. 15% of their students are heading overseas with North America being the most popular. Here destinations include the University of Michigan, University of Chicago, Northeastern and McGill.

Sports

Downe House offers exceptional sporting facilities including tennis and netball courts, basketball courts, squash and padel courts, extensive sports fields, astro turf pitches, and a new, fully equipped gym. They also work closely with local stables to provide outstanding external equestrian provision, ensuring girls can access a broad and high-quality sporting programme.

Art

Their bright, spacious art studios provide an inspiring environment for creativity across a wide range of disciplines, including a fully equipped textiles room. Close links with the Drama department support costume and production design, while regular gallery visits enrich learning and expose students to diverse artistic styles and interpretations.

Drama

Downe House benefits from dedicated drama studios, advanced staging, and a professional-standard AV team supporting high-quality productions. The school is also developing a new Film and Media department in response to growing student interest, broadening opportunities in performance and creative technologies.

Music

They are proud that 53% of students learn a musical instrument at Downe House, supported by over 400 individual music lessons each week delivered by a large team of specialist visiting teachers across a wide range of instruments. With multiple practice rooms, performance spaces, and pianos dotted around the school, music is embedded into daily life, encouraging both excellence and enjoyment, with all Remove (Year 7) students joining the choir and many continuing their choral journey throughout the school.

Dance

Their purpose-built dance studios offer a professional environment for both curricular and co-curricular dance, supporting a wide range of styles and performances. Dance plays an active role in school productions and showcases, giving students frequent opportunities to perform and develop confidence.