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.

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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:

Future Skills Vision

A NEW ERA

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.

Our Awards.

ISA Awards 2024: 'Co-educational Independent School of the Year'

Shortlisted

ISA Awards 2024 for Excellence and Innovation in Early Years

Winner

Microsoft Showcase Schools Incubator Pathway

Muddy Stilettos 2022 Awards for Most Creative Learning Through Play:

Highly Commended

Common Sense Media School: 2021-2023

Eco-Schools Green Flag Award: July 2022

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.

Facilities and Locations

Our cutting-edge Creative Arts Centre opened in June 2022.

Little Downsend Ashtead

Little Downsend Epsom

Little Downsend Leatherhead

Downsend Main Campus

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

Today was Downsend Sixth show and tell day! A chance for staff and students to meet our designer, see how the spaces will look – and give their opinions on flooring, colours and fabrics. Exciting times for Downsend 🥳

#DownsendSixth #DownsendSchool
#NextChapter
#FutureSkills
#WeAreCognita
#independentschool
#privateschool
#surreyhills
#surreyindependentschool
#surreyschools
#ewell #ewellvillage #banstead
#wisley #ripley #boxhill

Today was Downsend Sixth show and tell day! A chance for staff and students to meet our designer, see how the spaces will look – and give their opinions on flooring, colours and fabrics. Exciting times for Downsend 🥳

#DownsendSixth #DownsendSchool
#NextChapter
#FutureSkills
#WeAreCognita
#independentschool
#privateschool
#surreyhills
#surreyindependentschool
#surreyschools
#ewell #ewellvillage #banstead
#wisley #ripley #boxhill

Downsend Sixth is taking shape behind the scenes. Our specialist spaces have been planned, plotted and perfected – these being areas of detailed focus from Heads of Faculty – making sure they are designed purposefully and thoughtfully.

Science labs will be fully equipped to allow demonstrations involving fire, gas and water featuring the all essential fume cupboard, incubator and water purifier.
The Art Studio will be a creative space for students with their own studio work space, a silk printing area, a potter’s wheel and print-making press. Tomorrow we welcome our lead designer to Downsend, equipped with images and samples of fabrics, flooring and worktops, to share with staff and pupils.

Watch this space for as we share more images of other parts of the campus, how the spaces will be used, and how things are progressing.
To join our Preview Evening on 5th December and look at our full subject list, click the link in our bio.

#DownsendSixth #DownsendSchool
#NextChapter
#FutureSkills
#WeAreCognita
#independentschool
#privateschool
#surreyhills
#surreyindependentschool
#surreyschools
#ewell #ewellvillage #banstead
#wisley #ripley #boxhill

Downsend Sixth is taking shape behind the scenes. Our specialist spaces have been planned, plotted and perfected – these being areas of detailed focus from Heads of Faculty – making sure they are designed purposefully and thoughtfully.

Science labs will be fully equipped to allow demonstrations involving fire, gas and water featuring the all essential fume cupboard, incubator and water purifier.
The Art Studio will be a creative space for students with their own studio work space, a silk printing area, a potter’s wheel and print-making press. Tomorrow we welcome our lead designer to Downsend, equipped with images and samples of fabrics, flooring and worktops, to share with staff and pupils.

Watch this space for as we share more images of other parts of the campus, how the spaces will be used, and how things are progressing.
To join our Preview Evening on 5th December and look at our full subject list, click the link in our bio.

#DownsendSixth #DownsendSchool
#NextChapter
#FutureSkills
#WeAreCognita
#independentschool
#privateschool
#surreyhills
#surreyindependentschool
#surreyschools
#ewell #ewellvillage #banstead
#wisley #ripley #boxhill

We’re thrilled to share that Little Downsend has been awarded the ISA Award for Excellence and Innovation in Early Years! The Independent Schools Association (ISA), which supports and promotes excellence in independent education across the UK, recognised our pioneering programme that prepares young learners for writing.

Our submission highlighted how we build dexterity, creativity, and coordination through a variety of engaging methods, laying the foundations for confident writing and learning. Last week, Executive Head Ian Thorpe and Head of Little Downsend Lisa Burns proudly accepted the award at the prestigious ISA Annual Awards Ceremony.

This recognition is a testament to the passion, energy, and dedication of Lisa and the entire Little Downsend team. Congratulations to everyone involved—your innovation and hard work continue to shape the future of early years education!

#littledownsend #downsendschool #wearecognita #isaawards2024 #isaaward #isaawards #nursery #earlyyears #earlychildhoodeducation #surreyschools #independentschool #privateschool #surreyhills #boxhill #wisley #ripley #innovation #schoolawards

We’re thrilled to share that Little Downsend has been awarded the ISA Award for Excellence and Innovation in Early Years! The Independent Schools Association (ISA), which supports and promotes excellence in independent education across the UK, recognised our pioneering programme that prepares young learners for writing.

Our submission highlighted how we build dexterity, creativity, and coordination through a variety of engaging methods, laying the foundations for confident writing and learning. Last week, Executive Head Ian Thorpe and Head of Little Downsend Lisa Burns proudly accepted the award at the prestigious ISA Annual Awards Ceremony.

This recognition is a testament to the passion, energy, and dedication of Lisa and the entire Little Downsend team. Congratulations to everyone involved—your innovation and hard work continue to shape the future of early years education!

#littledownsend #downsendschool #wearecognita #isaawards2024 #isaaward #isaawards #nursery #earlyyears #earlychildhoodeducation #surreyschools #independentschool #privateschool #surreyhills #boxhill #wisley #ripley #innovation #schoolawards

This week our Year 8 students visited the @seswater_official Flow Zone at Bough Beech Reservoir near Edenbridge in Kent. This unique opportunity allowed them to learn more about the value of water. They explored how water travels from the river to our taps and observed the Water Treatment Works. Everyone had an enjoyable day and came away with a wealth of information about the processes involved. Moving forward, let`s do our best to use shower timers and limit our showers to 4 minutes.

#downsendschool #seniorschool #wearecognita #boughbeech #boughbeechreservoir #edenbridge #kent #science #independentschool

This week our Year 8 students visited the @seswater_official Flow Zone at Bough Beech Reservoir near Edenbridge in Kent. This unique opportunity allowed them to learn more about the value of water. They explored how water travels from the river to our taps and observed the Water Treatment Works. Everyone had an enjoyable day and came away with a wealth of information about the processes involved. Moving forward, let's do our best to use shower timers and limit our showers to 4 minutes.

#downsendschool #seniorschool #wearecognita #boughbeech #boughbeechreservoir #edenbridge #kent #science #independentschool

Last week, we were delighted to welcome @surreywildlifetrust back to school for another fantastic workshop. This time, our focus was on hedgehogs. The Year 4 students expanded their knowledge about hedgehogs` habitats, diet, anatomy, and how they communicate with each other—truly fascinating topics.

We spent time outdoors exploring our Forest School area as a habitat for small animals. The children identified the creatures that live there and learned what they need to survive.

@surreywildlifetrust also helped us in installing a special "Hedgehog Watch" camera, which will remain in the school grounds for the next few weeks. We’re very excited to see if we can observe any hedgehogs in our school area.

#downsendschool #wearecognita #juniorschool #privateschool #independentschool #surreywildlife #surreywildlifetrust #leatherhead #surrey

Last week, we were delighted to welcome @surreywildlifetrust back to school for another fantastic workshop. This time, our focus was on hedgehogs. The Year 4 students expanded their knowledge about hedgehogs' habitats, diet, anatomy, and how they communicate with each other—truly fascinating topics.

We spent time outdoors exploring our Forest School area as a habitat for small animals. The children identified the creatures that live there and learned what they need to survive.

@surreywildlifetrust also helped us in installing a special "Hedgehog Watch" camera, which will remain in the school grounds for the next few weeks. We’re very excited to see if we can observe any hedgehogs in our school area.

#downsendschool #wearecognita #juniorschool #privateschool #independentschool #surreywildlife #surreywildlifetrust #leatherhead #surrey

🥳 It’s official! Downsend Sixth will open in September 2025. 🥳

We are delighted to formally announce that Downsend will soon be educating children from the age of 6 months to 18 years old – a huge milestone in our history.

To celebrate our next chapter and share more details, join us for a Preview Event on Thursday 5th December at 6pm to hear more about our amazing new campus and what life at Downsend Sixth will be like. Link in bio to book your place.

#DownsendSixth #DownsendSchool
#NextChapter
#FutureSkills
#WeAreCognita
#independentschool
#privateschool
#surreyhills
#surreyindependentschool
#surreyschools
#ewell #ewellvillage #banstead
#wisley #ripley #boxhill

🥳 It’s official! Downsend Sixth will open in September 2025. 🥳

We are delighted to formally announce that Downsend will soon be educating children from the age of 6 months to 18 years old – a huge milestone in our history.

To celebrate our next chapter and share more details, join us for a Preview Event on Thursday 5th December at 6pm to hear more about our amazing new campus and what life at Downsend Sixth will be like. Link in bio to book your place.

#DownsendSixth #DownsendSchool
#NextChapter
#FutureSkills
#WeAreCognita
#independentschool
#privateschool
#surreyhills
#surreyindependentschool
#surreyschools
#ewell #ewellvillage #banstead
#wisley #ripley #boxhill

At Downsend, we’re all about creating a supportive, inclusive environment for every student! This week, we’re proud to participate in Anti-Bullying Week focusing on the importance of respect.

We asked our Year 11 and Year 6 students to share what ‘respect’ means to them, and they had some powerful insights to offer! We also caught up with our Year 6 Peer Mentors, the leaders of our Junior School, who work hard to ensure every student feels valued and included. Let’s hear what they had to say!

#downsendschool #wearecognita #independentschool #surreyschools #privateschool #surreyhills #seniorschool #juniorschool @antibullyingalliance #antibullyingweek #respect #chooserespect

At Downsend, we’re all about creating a supportive, inclusive environment for every student! This week, we’re proud to participate in Anti-Bullying Week focusing on the importance of respect.

We asked our Year 11 and Year 6 students to share what ‘respect’ means to them, and they had some powerful insights to offer! We also caught up with our Year 6 Peer Mentors, the leaders of our Junior School, who work hard to ensure every student feels valued and included. Let’s hear what they had to say!

#downsendschool #wearecognita #independentschool #surreyschools #privateschool #surreyhills #seniorschool #juniorschool @antibullyingalliance #antibullyingweek #respect #chooserespect

Last Friday, our fantastic Downsend Parents Association (DPA) hosted a fireworks display at the sports grounds of our school. The entire school community, including all three Little Downsend Schools, came together in the evening. It was a wonderful opportunity for everyone to catch up, enjoy a hot or refreshing drink, grab a bite to eat, and enjoy the spectacular fireworks display together. Thank you to the DPA for organising and thank you to everyone who joined us for this memorable event!

#downsendschool #littledownsend #wearecognita #community #independentschool #surreycommunity #surreyschools #surreyhills #surreyday

Last Friday, our fantastic Downsend Parents Association (DPA) hosted a fireworks display at the sports grounds of our school. The entire school community, including all three Little Downsend Schools, came together in the evening. It was a wonderful opportunity for everyone to catch up, enjoy a hot or refreshing drink, grab a bite to eat, and enjoy the spectacular fireworks display together. Thank you to the DPA for organising and thank you to everyone who joined us for this memorable event!

#downsendschool #littledownsend #wearecognita #community #independentschool #surreycommunity #surreyschools #surreyhills #surreyday

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