Address: Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Radstock, Somerset BA3 4RJ
Website: downside.co.uk
Founded: 1606 in Douai, France
Pupils: 360
Ages: 11-18
Fees: From £7,795 (year 7-8, day) to £17,385 (year 9-13, full boarding)
Headmaster: Mr Andrew Hobbs
Religious Affiliation: Roman Catholic, but welcoming of all faiths and none
Entrance Procedure: CAT4 Testing, current school’s reports and a school reference
Contact: Mrs Issy Hartnell, director of admissions; [email protected]
School Visits: Book an onsite or virtual visit by emailing [email protected]
The Curriculum
Well-balanced curriculum offering a broad range of GSCEs, A levels and BTECs such as computer science, sport, enterprise and entrepreneurship, classical civilisation, design technology, and theatre studies. These are supported by extensive cocurricular options including Duke of Edinburgh, CCF, debating, sailing and community service.
Games & The Arts
At Downside, sporting and arts cultures exists in harmony with the school’s academic values. The major sports on offer are rugby, hockey, netball, cricket, athletics and tennis alongside other popular activities such as football, table tennis, squash, golf and volleyball. The performing arts department (incorporating music, choir, theatre and dance) is expanding and is a hugely important part of the school. Downside’s CCF band leads the Bath Remembrance Parade each year.
Pastoral Care
Downside is known for high levels of pastoral care. It remains a 75 percent boarding school, which means that it is a seven-day-a-week international community, with all that brings in terms of friendships, esprit de corps and the sense of belonging that is at the very heart of the school’s pastoral care.
Recent University Places
The majority of pupils achieve their first-choice university.
Headmaster’s Philosophy
At Downside, we are committed to working in partnership with families and to providing an environment which nurtures young people who can think for themselves, stand up for their beliefs and act to make a positive difference in the world. Our philosophy is to give pupils the chance to embrace a life fully-lived.
Outstanding Characteristics
At the heart of Downside is the beautiful Abbey Church – one of only four minor basilicas in England. The school is set in 500 acres of Somerset countryside and has extensive facilities including many sports pitches, an indoor swimming pool, a music-dedicated Mac-suite, a health centre and a performing arts centre containing a recording studio, and 400-seat theatre.
