School Fees
Everything you will need to know about our fees, additional costs, discounts and terms and conditions and be found here. We aim to give you the information to help with your decision without overloading you with detail.
If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances and what would suit you as a family, then we are very happy to help. Should you have any queries, or would like to request a quote, please contact our Admissions Team who will be happy to discuss any questions you may have.
FEES FOR Bright Beginners (AGE 6 mths) to Rising Reception (age 3) - From September 2024 to August 2025
Bright Beginners (Age 6 months) & Early Learners (Age 1) | FULL DAY RATE (07:45 to 16:00) |
|---|---|
| 5 days a week (or 10 sessions/half days) | £95 per day (or £5,383 per term) |
| 4 days a week (or 8 sessions/half days) | £95 per day (or £4,307 per term) |
| 3 days a week (or 6 sessions/half days) | £97 per day (or £3,298 per term) |
| 2 days a week (or 4 sessions/half days) | £97 per day (or £2,199 per term) |
| 1 day a week (or 2 sessions/half days) | £97 per day (or £1,099 per term) |
| Extended day (16:00 - 18:00) | Additional £16 per day |
*Nursery fees remain exempt from VAT.
*Fees from September 2025 will be updated shortly.
First Steps and Rising Reception | FULL DAY RATE (07:45 to 16:00) |
|---|---|
| 5 days a week (or 10 sessions/half days) | £93.35 per day (or £5,289 per term) |
| 4 days a week (or 8 sessions/half days) | £95.00 per day (or £4,274 per term) |
| 3 days a week (or 6 sessions/half days) | £97.00 per day (or £3,294 per term) |
| 2 days a week (or 4 sessions/half days) | £105.00 per day (or £2,367 per term) |
| 1 day a week (or 2 sessions/half days) | £126.00 per day (or £1,417 per term) |
| Extended day (16:00 - 18:00) | Additional £16 per day |
*Nursery fees from September 2025 will be updated shortly.
Nursery FAQs
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The normal school day at Little Downsend runs from 08:30 to 15:30.
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Included within your fees, you can drop your child with us from 07:45 and collect at 16:00.
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If you would like an Extended Day, this runs from 16:00 – 18:00 and includes tea.
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If your child attends a half-day, this is a morning: 07:45 to 12:00
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We ask that First Steps children attend a minimum of 0.4 sessions for all nursery age groups from Bright Beginners to Rising Reception.
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We ask that Rising Reception children attend a minimum of 4 half days per week (2 days).
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Yes, we use electronic billing and will invoice you for fees monthly in advance.
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During every school holiday, we offer a seamless transition to our Holiday Club, Downsend Early Years +. We offer a variety of options for you to pick and choose the days that you need. Our flexible ‘pay as you go’ option means you you never pay for holiday childcare that you do not need:
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A full day at holiday club (8am – 5:30pm) is at a cost of £85 for Bright Beginners and Early Learners.
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A short day (9am – 4pm) is at a cost of £65 for Bright Beginners and Early Learners.
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A full day at holiday club (8am – 5:30pm) is at a cost of £75 for First Steps and £71 for Rising Reception.
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A short day (9am – 4pm) is at a cost of £55 for First Steps and £51 for Rising Reception.
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Holiday Club is at an additional cost and can be booked and paid for via our secure parent app, Cognita Connect.
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We offer ad hoc half days at £50, which can be booked with 1 day’s notice via Cognita Connect or the School Office. (Subject to staffing).
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Extended Day can be booked with 1 day’s notice at a cost of £16. (Subject to staffing).
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Free Childcare Entitlements for Working Parents of 2 year olds. Since April 2024, the Government has enabled childcare providers to receive Nursery Grant Funding for children from the age of 2 years, if parents meet the eligibility criteria. We now offer this to eligible families at Little Downsend. As you begin your admissions process with us, our team will advise you on the next steps and how to set this up.
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Nursery Grant Funding for 2 year olds (for families receiving some additional forms of Government support). Little Downsend is registered to receive Nursery Grant Funding for children aged 2 years if you claim certain benefits. Our Admissions and Finance teams will advise you on everything you need to do to set this up.
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Funding for 3-4 years olds (15 hours free childcare). Little Downsend is registered to receive Nursery Grant Funding for all children aged 3-4 years. Our Admissions and Finance teams will advise you on everything you need to do to set this up.
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Free Childcare Entitlements for Working Parents of children from the age of 9 months. From September 2024, the Government is enabling childcare providers to receive Nursery Grant Funding for children from the age of 9 months, if parents meet the eligibility criteria. We now offer this to eligible families at Little Downsend. As you begin your admissions process with us, our team will advise you on the next steps and how to set this up.
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Information on how the Universal Entitlement is calculated can be found below:
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Yes. Our Finance Team will be able to advise you on everything you need to do to set this up. Our Admissions Team will talk you through the details when you make your application.
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If your child is with us all day, lunch is included.
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We ask for one full term's notice in writing to Admissions and the Head of School, for all year groups, including nursery.
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When you complete your application forms, we ask for a registration fee of £80 (non-refundable).
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When you confirm your place, we ask for a deposit of £100 (refundable in line with T&Cs).
Fees from Reception (age 4) to Year 13 (age 18) – From September 2025
YEAR GROUP | TUITION FEES | LUNCH FEES (Compulsory) | TOTAL TERMLY FEES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reception | £5,725 | £375 | £6,100 |
| Year 1 | £5,725 | £375 | £6,100 |
| Year 2 | £6,070 | £375 | £6,445 |
| Year 3 | £7,945 | £375 | £8,320 |
| Year 4 | £7,945 | £375 | £8,320 |
| Year 5 | £7,945 | £375 | £8,320 |
| Year 6 | £7,945 | £375 | £8,320 |
| Year 7 | £8,128 | £375 | £8,503 |
| Year 8 | £8,128 | £375 | £8,503 |
| Year 9 | £9,065 | £375 | £9,440 |
| Year 10 | £9,065 | £375 | £9,440 |
| Year 11 | £9,065 | £375 | £9,440 |
| Year 12-13 | £9,065 | - | £9,065 |
Reception to Year 13 FAQs
To register your child for a place from Reception to Year 13, we request a non-refundable registration fee of £180.
We then ask for a deposit of £750 to accept your child’s place. The deposit is refundable upon graduation (in line with T&Cs).
Yes. We are pleased to offer parents with more than one child in Reception or above, across the Downsend School sites, the following sibling discounts:
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1st child – Standard fees apply
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2nd child – 5% discount
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3rd child – 10% discount
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4th child – 15% discount
From Reception, we will invoice you for your fees termly, in advance. However, should you wish to pay monthly, we work with School Fee Plan who enable you to pay your school fees in monthly instalments.
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Reception to Year 2: You are able to drop your child into Early Birds from 7:45am. This is included within your fees.
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Year 3 to Year 11: Early Birds (from 7:30am): £7.50 per day
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Reception to Year 2: At Little Downsend, Extended Day runs from 16:00 to 18:00 and is charged at £16 which includes a light tea.
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Year 3 to Year 6: In the Junior School, Extended Day runs until 17:45 and is charged at £15 per day and includes a light tea.
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Year 7 to Year 11: In the Senior School, Supervised Study runs until 17:45 and is charged at £12 per day and includes a light tea.
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We ask for a £75 contribution to the Year 3 Music Scheme.
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Your child will be given the opportunity to opt into a wide range of trips and opportunities which will vary in price dependent upon the location.
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Each GCSE exam is subject to an exam fee. This is dependent upon the GCSE subjects your child chooses and will be notified to you in advance.
Cognita is an appointed representative of Premium Credit Limited which is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. *School Fee Plan is a trading style of Premium Credit Limited.
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