Downe House
Downe House is an independent school in Thatcham for girls aged 11 to 18. It has 535 pupils and room for 610.
Cold Ash, Thatcham, RG18 9JJ01635 200286Mrs Emma McKendrick headteacherAll details
Inspection
This private school is inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate, not Ofsted. Its reports are at isi.net.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
105 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | West Berkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 105 | 112 | 89 | 104 | 107 | 91 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 18.6 | 44.7 | 43.4 | 45.8 | 45.4 | 42.5 | 46.6 | 46.8 |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 46% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 66% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 1.36 | 3.16 | 2.98 | 3.22 | 3.13 | 2.80 | 4.12 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 38% | 41% |
Subjects
Results came out for 9 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Strongest subjects
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Modern Languages | 43 | 86% | 91% | 91% | 49% | – |
| French | 41 | 90% | 98% | 100% | 60% | – |
| Religious Studies | 40 | 83% | 100% | 100% | 60% | – |
| Art and Design | 38 | 90% | 100% | 100% | 58% | – |
| Geography | 35 | 77% | 94% | 94% | 51% | – |
| Drama | 15 | 53% | 87% | 100% | 60% | – |
| Computer Science | 11 | 82% | 91% | 100% | 56% | – |
| Latin | 11 | 73% | 100% | 100% | 82% | – |
| Music | 8 | 75% | 100% | 100% | 61% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
A level and sixth-form results, 2025
92 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 92 | 88 | 82 | 82 | 172 | 181 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 45.81 | 46.41 | 46.11 | 50.12 | 45.73 | 47.40 |
| Average A level grade | A- | A- | A- | A | A- | A- |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 45.82 | 46.75 | 46.11 | 50.17 | 46.17 | 48.11 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 40% | 38% | 42% | 56% | 47% | 50% |
| A level progressA level value added | +0.22 | +0.21 | – | – | -0.18 | -0.04 |
A level subjects
16 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.
Strongest A levels
Every A level subject against England, 2025
A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.
Getting a place
Admissions policy not published. As a Church of England school it may put families of that faith first. Check the school's own admissions rules.
Each council publishes its own figures on how many families applied and how far away the last child to get a place lived. We are adding councils one at a time. If you have a link to West Berkshire council's admissions booklet, send it to us.
Who goes here
Who the school teaches, from the latest school census.
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 535 | 542 | 556 | 551 | 568 | 578 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | – | – | – | – | 0% | 0% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | – | – | – | – | 0% | 0% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 27% | 24% | 17% | 18% | 14% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
What pupils do next
After sixth form
Where the 82 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 72% | 63% | 65% |
| Education | 56% | 51% | 55% |
| Apprenticeship | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Work | 16% | 12% | 10% |
| Not in education, work or training | 12% | 18% | 12% |
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cold Ash St Mark's CE Primary School | Church of England | 0.7 miles | 195 | Good 2024 | 56 | Compare |
| Curridge Primary School | Council | 1.1 miles | 111 | Good 2023 | 54 | Compare |
| St Finian's Catholic Primary School | Roman Catholic | 1.2 miles | 204 | Report card 2026 | 77 | Compare |
| Brockhurst and Marlston House Schools | Independent | 1.6 miles | 307 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Hermitage Primary School | Council | 1.7 miles | 186 | No overall grade 2025 | 42 | Compare |
| Whitelands Park Primary School | Academy | 1.9 miles | 372 | Good 2022 | 21 | Compare |
| Priors Court School | Independent | 1.9 miles | 67 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Thatcham Park CofE Primary | Church of England | 2.1 miles | 399 | Good 2024 | 24 | Compare |
Questions parents ask
Is Downe House a good school?
We don't have enough published data to score Downe House yet.
How good are Downe House's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 0% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 18.6, against 46.8 for England.
How many pupils does Downe House have?
535 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2024. It has 610 places, so it is 88% full. It is a girls' school.
Does Downe House have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was A-. 16 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Cold Ash, Thatcham, RG18 9JJ
- Telephone
- 01635 200286
- Headteacher
- Mrs Emma McKendrick
- Type of school
- Independent school (Other independent school, independent schools)
- Phase
- Independent school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Girls
- Religious character
- Church of England
- Local authority
- West Berkshire
- Ward
- Chieveley & Cold Ash
- Constituency
- Newbury
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 January 1909
- URN
- 110123 · LAESTAB 8696002 · UKPRN 10015685
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 2024/25.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.