The Downs Preparatory School A GSG School
- The Downs Preparatory School
Charlton House
Wraxall
Bristol
BS48 1PF - Head: Mr Marcus Gunn
- T 01275 852008
- F 01275 855840
- E [email protected]
- W www.thedownsschool.co.uk
- An independent school for boys and girls aged to 13.
- Boarding: No
- Local authority: North Somerset
- Pupils: 282
- Religion: Christian
- Fees: £11,250 - £17,085 pa
- Open days: May and October
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
- ISI report: View the ISI report
What The Good Schools Guide says..
This is a family-run prep school that makes the most of the outdoors – overalls and wellies for outside play, and lessons in the forest school. ‘Our children are happy there, and safe, and cared for, and challenged.’ Science is popular and practical. Other subjects like history also use this tack – each year group has a history day, Vikings or Normans, for example. Pupils dress up, make weapons, re-enact battles. The school council is busy ‘making small changes that make a big difference'; pre-prep would like mangos and strawberries in fruit snacks...
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What The Good Schools Guide says
Headmaster
Since 2001, Marcus Gunn MA (Ed) PGCE BA IAPS. Originally from Yorkshire, Gunn studied history at Liverpool before qualifying as a teacher. A keen windsurfer, he taught history and games for several years and went on to study a masters in education and leadership. Lives in the school grounds with wife Valerie, the ‘glue that holds it all together.’
Parents have nothing but praise. One told us, ‘he clearly likes children…He wants them to do well and he certainly wants them all to be happy.’ Another added, ‘[He is] not afraid to get his hands dirty and to reach the children on their level’.
Retiring in July 2020.
Working closely with Gunn is head of pre-prep, Heather Fulton. Originally from New Zealand, her...
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Special Education Needs
At The Downs we try to cater for the needs of all the children. In doing so we offer about 45 (50) lessons a week of learning support in numeracy and literacy. Some of the children supported have been assessed as dyslexic or dyscalculiac, others have been identified as needing some help from their teachers. We offer help to any reasonably bright children as long as we have the facility to do so; if after assessment, we feel they need some support, we will not offer a place unless we have the space in the allocated (5) lessons a week. The Learning Support we offer is of a very high quality; indeed it is excellent, however, we do not 'market' the department.
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder | Y |
| Aspergers | |
| Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders | Y |
| CReSTeD registered for Dyslexia | |
| Dyscalculia | Y |
| Dysgraphia | |
| Dyslexia | Y |
| Dyspraxia | Y |
| English as an additional language (EAL) | |
| Genetic | |
| Has an entry in the Autism Services Directory | |
| Has SEN unit or class | Y |
| HI - Hearing Impairment | |
| Hospital School | |
| Mental health | |
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty | |
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment | |
| Natspec Specialist Colleges | |
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability | |
| Other SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
| PD - Physical Disability | |
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty | |
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health | |
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication | Y |
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty | |
| Special facilities for Visually Impaired | |
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty | |
| VI - Visual Impairment |
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Leavers' destinations
| School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton College | 2018 | 14 | 9 | Academic Scholarship; All Rounder Scholarship; Drama Scholarship; Sports Scholarships (6) |
| Queen Elizabeth's Hospital | 2018 | 3 | 1 | Academic Scholarship |
| Badminton School | 2018 | 2 | 1 | Sports Scholarship |
| Sidcot School | 2018 | 2 | 2 | Academic Scholarship; Sports Scholarship |
| Bristol Grammar School | 2018 | 1 | 1 | Academic Scholarship |
| Colston's School | 2018 | 1 | ||
| Downside School | 2018 | 1 | 1 | Sports Scholarship |
| Eton College | 2018 | 1 | ||
| King's Bruton | 2018 | 1 | ||
| Kingswood School | 2018 | 1 | 1 | Academic Scholarship |
| Oundle School | 2018 | 1 | ||
| Wells Cathedral School | 2018 | 1 | 1 | All Rounder Scholarship |
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