Welcome to Downsend School

Downsend is an innovative and forward-thinking independent school with a vision. A vision to inspire pupils to embrace the future, to create incredible people who make change in a rapidly evolving world.

From Nursery to Sixth Form, we prepare our young people for the future with a creative and problem-solving approach. We think big, we celebrate innovation and we never hold back.

It is an exciting time to be a Downsendian as our Sixth Form opens in September 2025. Downsend Sixth will complete the journey for pupils from the ages of 6 months to 18 and marks an exceptional moment in our history.

Downsend is future focused in a rapidly evolving world.

From Nursery through to the Senior School, day to day life at Downsend is fast-paced, inspiring and immersive. We bring learning to life, providing opportunities for growth at every age.

We're passionate about providing the best, most innovative experience possible. Find out more about our Future Skills Vision below:

A new era for Downsend

 

Downsend Sixth launches September 2025! Our brand new, purpose-designed, Sixth Form Centre will offer the very best of both worlds. Our new campus will offer young people the perfect environment for both academic success and personal growth.

Head's Welcome

Meet the Head.

Described by the Good Schools Guide as ‘refreshingly candid, with a knack for getting what he wants’, Ian Thorpe has been Head at Downsend for 10 years. A forward-thinking Head, Ian has been responsible for significant change at Downsend.

His can-do attitude, relentless energy and good humour, coupled with an impressive track record from Chinthurst, City of London Freemen's and Caterham School, mean that Downsend benefits from the best of both worlds – the ability to choose the best of the sector, whilst also innovating to do things differently.

From September 2025

Meet the Incoming Head.

As one door closes another opens, and we are delighted to welcome Mrs Rebecca Tear as the incoming Executive Head of Downsend School. Joining us in September 2025, Mrs Tear is an experienced and inspiring leader, with a wealth of expertise. Known for her innovative and forward-thinking approach, Bex has guided academic success, developed broad and engaging curricula, and built strong relationships with school communities.

With her energy, passion for life-long learning and focus on preparing pupils for the future, Mrs Tear is ready to lead Downsend into an exciting new chapter, perfectly aligned with our Future Skills vision.

FACILITIES & LOCATION

Excellent learning locations.

Innovative modern spaces bring specialist teaching to life at the Main School, while Little Downsend offers a home from home for our littlest children, with outstanding outdoor spaces for exploring and learning.

Passionate and inspiring leadership, down to earth, fantastic facilities and a modern, forward-thinking approach.

 – A Downsend Parent

Our Schools

Little Downsend Ashtead (0 - 4 years)

Little Downsend Ashtead is a Nursery and Pre-School for children aged 6 months to 4 years old.

A short walk from Ashtead Village, with its independent shops and cafes, Little Downsend Ashtead is perfectly located for new parents looking for a nursery within walking distance that has a quiet, welcoming presence.

Little Downsend Epsom (2-7 years)

Little Downsend Epsom is a Nursery and Pre-Prep for children aged 2 years to 7 years.

Occupying a beautiful piece of land with a grassy field, garden and play areas, both children's and parent's needs are catered for in quiet surroundings.

Little Downsend Leatherhead (2-7 years)

Little Downsend Leatherhead is a Nursery and Pre-Prep for children aged 2 years to 7 years.

The largest of the three schools, Little Downsend Leatherhead benefits from a huge play area, an acre of grassy fields, forest school, stage and climbing equipment.

Downsend School (8 - 16 years)

Downsend School houses Year 3 to Year 11. Featuring a brand-new Creative Arts Centre, extensive sporting facilities, 25m pool and a wide range of specialist labs and studios, Downsend offers pupils an exciting place to learn. Conveniently located just outside Leatherhead, the campus has a leafy, suburban feel whilst being easy to get to by car, train or bus.

Downsend Sixth (16-18 years)

Launching in September 2025, Downsend Sixth will provide an outstanding A Level experience in a purpose-designed building a short walk from Leatherhead train station and opposite Leatherhead Leisure Centre. State of the art specialist teaching rooms including Science Labs and an Innovation Suite will complement contemporary quiet study spaces and a collaborative Common Room and Café.

Accreditations

                                          

Follow Downsend on Social Media

What a performance! “Seussical the Musical” delivered everything—amazing and confident acting, stunning singing, a vibrant display of colours, and an abundance of energy and positivity!
 
Our wonderful Year 7 and 8 actors, along with talented musicians and senior school students who again excelled as the production crew, presented four shows last week to our wonderful community.
 
Having a fully equipped theatre as one of our classrooms allows our students to expand their creative abilities, build confidence in public speaking, and gain experience in both the production and technical aspects of theatre. These opportunities enhance their communication and collaboration skills, making it easier for them to pursue their dreams in the future.

#downsendschool #wearecognita #surreyschools #independentschool #privateschool #surreyhills #seussicalthemusical #seniorschool #boxhill #cognitaschools #creativity #performingarts
Our Year 10 Drama students had an unforgettable experience at Woking's New Victoria Theatre, where they watched the incredible touring production of War Horse.

This powerful and groundbreaking performance left a lasting impression, with students describing it as "the best thing we've ever seen." The trip was a fantastic opportunity to witness world-class theatre in action, inspiring our young performers and deepening their appreciation for the art of storytelling.

#downsendschool #wearecognita #seniorschool #independentschool #privateschool #leatherhead #boxhill #gcsedrama #creativearts #woking #warhorse #victoriatheatre
💫' Life at the Littles’ 💫 - At Downsend, we are digital creators! We introduce digital creativity starting with iPads for phonics in Rising Reception. This use of technology continues in Reception and Year 1, and by Year 2, children progress to spelling activities. We leverage modern digital tools to explore essential curriculum areas, including Phonics, Maths, and English. Our phonics activities help children recognize sounds, blend them together, and identify nonsense words, all of which contribute to building their vocabulary and boosting their confidence.
 
Recently, we invited parents of Little Downsend to a workshop centred on phonics and the process of learning to read. Staff from all three of our schools shared valuable tips to help parents support their children’s progression from ‘sound seekers’ to ‘fluent readers’. 
 
During the workshop, staff shared successful strategies employed in school to foster a love of reading, resulting in 90% of Little Downsend children meeting or exceeding national reading attainment levels by the end of Year 2, in contrast to the national average of 68%.

#downsendschool #wearecognita #surreyschools #independentschool #privateschool #surreyhills #juniorschool #seniorschool #boxhill #nursery #community #digitalcreator #digitallearning
Last year, our combined efforts enabled us to achieve our sustainability goal of reducing general waste by 20%. We also increased our recycling and boosted awareness of sustainability throughout the school. We are proud to say these efforts saw Downsend School being named a National Topic Award Winner by Eco Schools and received a City Kids Green Award for ‘Best Student Initiative’!
This year, we are focusing on energy use reduction and have set ourselves the goal of reducing electricity by 5% and gas by 10%. Last week, in our assemblies, we focused on climate change and ways that we can all take action to tackle this. We need everyone to do their part to help us achieve these objectives.
 
In school, we’ve already started taking action to reduce our use, including:
 
Undertaking a student-led energy audit
Adding reminder stickers to light switches
Organising a big switch-off before the Christmas break.
Taking part in activities such as Earth Hour. 
 
We are expanding this initiative within our community, working together to make a positive change.

#downsendschool #wearecognita #juniorschool #surreyschools #surreyhills #boxhill #eco @citykidsmagazine #earthhour #planetearth

Learn more.

Downsend School

Admissions: 01372 372311
General: 01372 372197