Independent Schools September 2021

42

Thursday, September 16, 2021

Newbury Weekly News

INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS

Elstree School

LSTREE is an award- winning day and boarding school for boys and girls aged three to 13. Now fully co-educational, children can begin their life in the Elstree Pre-Prep Nursery and continue their Elstree education until the end of Year 8. Set amid 150 acres of rural Berkshire countryside, less than 10 miles from Newbury and Reading and about an hour from West London, Elstree offers a welcoming, secure and purposeful environment where children have the time and space to be nurtured and inspired. Community is at the heart of everything Elstree School does. From day one, pupils are actively encouraged to be kind, considerate, open- minded, compassionate, and tolerant of others. Fostering an awareness of those less fortunate and becoming more caring members of the community is a significant part of an Elstree education. With around 250 pupils, and plenty of space and facilities, class sizes are small (average 12 per class), so time for individual support. Elstree is a school with high academic, creative, and sporting achievements. Pupils go on to the leading Senior Schools including Eton, Bradfield, Downe House, Radley, St Mary’s Calne and

for every child. Elstree was selected as one of the Top 50 Prep Schools for cricket in The Cricketer’s School Guide 2021 . Facilities include a recently refurbished performance space, well-equipped sports hall, kayaking lake, outdoor heated pool, two all-weather pitches, a 9-hole golf course and a shooting range. Wrap-around care means parents can drop off at 8am and collect at 6pm. After School Clubs for the younger children are fun and varied, with something for everyone. There is a Monday Morning bus from London (Earls Court and Hammersmith) and return bus for exeat weekends. Daily local buses run from Brightwalton and Reading. Next Open Mornings are on Saturdays, October 2 and 16. Places can be booked online at elstreeschool.org.uk/ admissions/open-days/

Wellington and routinely achieve excellent results in Common Entrance and Scholarship examinations. (48 Scholarships awarded in five years). While success is celebrated at Elstree, we recognise that being compassionate and tolerant of others is equally important. outstanding variety of extra curriculum activities, Elstree provides an environment where children can develop the skills necessary to thrive in today’s world. Around 50 per cent flexi or weekly board. Elstree won Best Boarding School at the ISOTY 2020 Awards, the only preparatory school to be shortlisted. It has also been rated Best of Boarding by The Week. Performing/creative arts, and sport is thriving, with 85 per cent learning an instrument, four drama productions every year and daily sport coaching Through enrichment programmes and an

Downe House

Photo: © 2021 David Levenson

WHAT’S it like to be a day girl at Downe House? Downe House has been providing the best in girls’ education for generations and offers day places that allow girls to enjoy all the advantages of our family-friendly boarding environment – but they return home each day. The beautiful 110-acre woodland estate in Cold Ash near Newbury provides a wealth of facilities for sports, drama, dance, art and music and the extended day that is part of boarding school life offers day girls extra time for learning and taking part in an exceptional range of co-curricular opportunities, which explore and develop their strengths. Before school, day girls head to their House to register and meet up with the other girls.

They can join their friends for breakfast if they wish, drop back to House at break and lunchtimes, and once the academic day has ended, and at weekends, they can join in the impressive range of activities and events. What makes Downe House special? Downe House was founded as ‘a school where each individual within the community matters’, and we work in partnership with parents to ensure that every Downe House girl leaves with a lifelong intellectual curiosity, a self-belief that she can face life’s challenges, and a steadfast place in a lively community. Pupils consistently achieve outstanding results at A-level and GCSE and go on to study at top universities in the UK and around the world.

Equal importance is placed on equipping girls with a well- established work ethic and traditional core values. While very much part of the local community, Downe House girls are also encouraged to develop a global outlook – girls have the opportunity to take part in the school’s unique Global Schools’ Exchange Programme and the DH LINKS careers programme connects girls with a global alumnae and parent network. Being a Downe House girl ensures lifelong access to a global community, right here in West Berkshire and transformational bursaries are available for talented local girls. Discover more about Downe House at www.downehouse. net

“ Downe House really is a

one-of-a-kind place. ” Class of 2020 Pupil

Plan an individual visit or join us for one of our Open Mornings on : 13 November 2021, 15 January, 19 March, 23 April and 11 June 2022

www.downehouse.net

An independent boarding school in Berkshire with boarding and day places for girls aged 11-18 years T: 01635 204701 E: registrar@downehouse.net