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Downe House (Boarding)

School typeIndependent

AddressHermitage Rd, Thatcham, Berkshire, England, RG18 9JJ

Downe House is an independent boarding school for girls. Its 11+ entrance process involves the ISEB Pretest and a two-stage assessment, including an interview. With roughly three applicants per place, admission is competitive.

If your daughter is drawn to boarding and wants a busy community to throw herself into, Downe House is one of the best-known girls' schools to consider. It sits in 110 acres of Berkshire countryside at Cold Ash, near Newbury, rather than in a town, and almost all of its pupils board. Girls join at 11 and 13, with roughly three applicants for every place, so a place here is competitive but not impossibly so. The Good Schools Guide calls it a modern boarding school with all the traditional trimmings, an unstuffy place producing confident young women who are well equipped for whatever comes next.

The school was founded in 1907 by Olive Willis, who started it in the Kent house once lived in by Charles Darwin before moving it to Berkshire. She wanted a place that valued each girl as an individual rather than expecting them all to behave the same way, and that spirit still runs through it. Music is a particular strength, with over half the girls learning an instrument and every younger pupil singing in a choir, and sport runs deep, with lacrosse pitches and tennis courts across the grounds. The detail families remember most is the term that younger girls spend at the school's own house in the Dordogne, in the French countryside, learning the language where it is spoken.

Downe House suits a girl who will take to boarding and wants plenty to get involved in, in lessons and well beyond them. Led since 1997 by headmistress Emma McKendrick, whom parents describe as hands-on and not at all frightened of teenage girls, it is a warm, busy place that sends its leavers out sure of themselves.

Key facts

Gender

Girls

Year 7 places

approx 55

Website

Visit school website

Admissions

Open day

Sep, Nov

Admissions contact

https://www.downehouse.net/enquiry/

Admissions phone

0163 520 4701

Registration form

View registration details

What this school tests

Writing Assessment

English4 question types

Creative Writing - DescriptiveCreative Writing - NarrativeCreative Writing - PersonalCreative Writing - Persuasive

ISEB Common Pre-test

English17 question types

GrammarPunctuationReading Comprehension - ComparisonReading Comprehension - EvaluationReading Comprehension - Grammar and punctuationReading Comprehension - Inference and DeductionReading Comprehension - Information RetrievalReading Comprehension - Language Techniques and ImageryReading Comprehension - Sentence-level ComprehensionReading Comprehension - SequencingReading Comprehension - Structure, Form, Voice and ToneReading Comprehension - SummarisingReading Comprehension - Text Classification and PurposeReading Comprehension - Types of Words and PhrasesReading Comprehension - Word Meaning / ChoiceSpellingVocabulary

Maths21 question types

AlgebraAngles and DegreesBIDMASCoordinate GridsEstimation and RoundingFactors and MultiplesFractions, Decimals and PercentagesMeasurementMoneyNumber and Place ValueOperationsPerimeter, Area and VolumePosition and DirectionProperties of ShapesRatio and ProportionReflection, Rotation and SymmetrySequencesSpecial NumbersSpeed, Distance and TimeStatisticsTime

Non-verbal Reasoning11 question types

Figure AnalogiesFigure SeriesGrid MatricesHorizontal CodesMost Like Three FiguresMost Like Two FiguresOdd Figure OutStar MatricesTriangle MatricesTriangle SeriesVertical Codes

Verbal Reasoning14 question types

Compound WordsEmbedded WordsForm a WordInsert a LetterMove 1 / 2 LettersOdd Word OutShuffled SentencesSynonymsVerbal ClassificationWord AnalogiesWord CompletionWord MatchWord OppositesWord Pairs

Spatial Reasoning13 question types

2D Rotations2D View of 3D Shape3D RotationsBlock CountingBuilding BlocksCombining ShapesFold and PunchFolding CubesHidden ShapesMissing Face of CubeNets - Opposite FaceShape CompletionVertical/Horizontal Reflections

Previous exam results

GCSE results

Most pupils at this school sit IGCSE and Pre-U qualifications, which are not reflected in DfE's published GCSE measures. See the school's own website for full results. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

A-level results

In 2025 students achieved an A- average grade per A-Level entry. 39.6% gained AAB or better including two facilitating subjects. Reference: https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/

Frequently asked questions

What exam board does Downe House use for the 11+?

Downe House uses the ISEB Pretest, along with its own independent assessments, for the 11+ entrance exam.

Does Downe House interview as part of the 11+?

Yes, an interview stage is part of the 11+ entrance process at Downe House.

Is Downe House co-educational or single-sex?

Downe House is a single-sex independent boarding school for girls.

What is Downe House's website?

The official website for Downe House is https://www.downehouse.net/.

How selective is Downe House for 11+ entry?

Admission to Downe House at 11+ is competitive, with roughly three applicants for every place.

What are the stages of the Downe House 11+ exam?

The Downe House 11+ entrance exam is a two-stage process, which includes the ISEB Pretest and an interview.

Does Downe House (Boarding) offer bursaries or help with fees?

Yes. Downe House offers means-tested bursaries at all points of entry, including 11+ boarding. They are based on your family's circumstances and can cover up to the full fee, plus an allowance towards school extras, where the need is there. If you think you may need help, the school asks you to talk to them well before your daughter's entry date. Contact the Registrar, Miss Angela Nutt, for a confidential conversation.

What scholarships does Downe House (Boarding) offer?

Downe House offers Scholarships and Exhibitions to girls with exceptional potential in Academics, Music, Creative Arts, Performing Arts and Sport, available at 11+. Your daughter must be registered before sitting for an award, and she takes an assessment in the relevant area; no special preparation is needed. Scholarship awards do not carry fee reduction, but families can apply for help with fees through the separate bursary scheme.

What is the Downe House (Boarding) 11+ assessment like?

For 11+ boarding, your daughter attends an Assessment Day at the school in the autumn term, a year before entry. The day mixes activities like drama, design technology and team-building workshops with a piece of creative or persuasive writing, an interview with the Headmistress, a tour and lunch with current girls. She also sits the ISEB Common Pre-Test at her own school. It is designed to be enjoyable, not just a test on paper.

Location

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