The Downs School

Term dates

We haven't checked West Berkshire's term dates yet. See the school's website.

Admissions

Places for Year 7 are applied for through your home council, not the school.

Apply for a secondary school place on GOV.UK

How places are given: there's no entrance test. When there are more applicants than places, places usually go by criteria such as siblings, distance or catchment area. Check the council's or school's admissions policy for the exact rules.

For the sixth form, apply to the school directly.

How many families applied: Year 7

For September 2026, 249 families put this school as their first choice, and 204 places were offered. 196 of the families who put it first got a place (79%). More families put it first than there were places.

Offers made on national offer day, from the Department for Education. Waiting lists and appeals can change things later. The hardest schools to get into.

Before and after school

This club is registered with Ofsted at the school's postcode, so usually run on the school site:

• TA Sport Stars Camp The Downs School and Sixth Form, holiday club. Ofsted report

Ask the club or the school about times, prices and places. More clubs nearby.

Ofsted inspection

Latest graded inspection, 1 October 2024. No overall grade was given (Ofsted stopped giving one in September 2024). It was inspected as The Downs School, before the school changed (for example, became an academy).

Quality of education

Outstanding

Behaviour and attitudes

Outstanding

Personal development

Outstanding

Leadership and management

Good

Sixth form

Outstanding

Read the Ofsted reports

From Ofsted's published inspection data (Open Government Licence). Report cards and older grades use different scales, so they can't be compared directly.

About and location

Type

Academy

Phase

Secondary

Ages

11–18

Gender

Mixed

Academy trust

SUMMIT EDUCATION TRUST

Phone

01635270000

Address

Manor Crescent, Compton, Newbury, RG20 6AD

Website

thedownsschool.org

Official school record, including Ofsted reports