The Good Schools Guide
2006, 11th Edition entry for The Downs School, Wraxall
Date of visit: 25th November 2004
Writer: Mr G W Bishop
Pupils: 153 boys, 68 girls (6 boys board, 147 day boys, 57 day girls). Ages: 4– 7 pre-prep; 8-13 prep. Religion: Christian ethos
Local Education Authority: North Somerset
Head:
Since 2001, Mr Marcus Gunn MA(Ed) BA PGCE (late forties). Went to Bloxham then Liverpool followed by South Bank and an OU postgraduate degree in education. A cheery traditionalist who believes in children developing old-fashioned virtues such as ‘opening doors for others, shaking hands and looking adults in the eye.’ Career began at now defunct Marton Hall before deputy headship at Mowden Hall in Northumberland. Didn’t quite realise what he was walking into as fourth head at The Downs within two years. After some much-needed hatchet work in the staffroom precipitated by a critical ISI report in November 2000 and substantial withdrawals by unimpressed parents, he has now managed to turn the school around. Has established a ‘happy, talented staff’ encouraged by a positive follow-up inspection in October 2002 and seen through some major changes. With wife Valerie looking after the few boarders still at the school and three children (Joshua 16; Olivia 14; Henrietta 12) going through the independent school mill, the Gunns are clearly seen as good news by the parents whom they have gone out of their way to get on side. A former windsurfing buff, Marcus is less athletic these days and when we visited was limping badly following a spot of rugby refereeing; likes to snatch quality time with the family or perhaps dabble in a bit of painting or photography.
Entrance:
Candidates above year one are assessed informally for a day and offered places if they are of at least average ability. Low ability candidates are accepted provided school’s learning support department can meet their needs. Former nursery, located near the entrance off the B3128, has been off-loaded to a year round, whole day care outfit which meets local demand better. Pre-prep now free to recruit four-year-olds from various local nurseries with encouraging results. 4:1 ratio of boys to girls in prep may be partly attributable to school’s long rugby tradition but girls appear confident and are increasingly making their presence felt. Four or five scholarships offered annually with academic scholarship worth up to 50% of day fee.
Exit:
Majority of CE candidates go to Clifton or QEH though King’s College, Taunton and Millfield are currently popular choices as have been Badminton, Bryanston, Malvern and Sherborne. All in recent years have been accepted by first choice school. Impressive scholarship success rate continues. Very few now go off to Bristol day schools after 11+ entrance exams so majority, including girls, stay to 13.
Remarks:
Founded in 1894 overlooking Clifton Downs, school ‘escaped’ from Bristol in 1927 and were tenants on late Lord Wraxall’s estate until 2002 when Charlton House along with assortment of other school buildings, 60 acres of playing fields and parkland were bought by governors ‘for a song.’ 20mph speed limit on mile long drive is a first challenge for visitors; unsympathetically rendered exterior to mansion finally comes as anti-climax. Entering the matrix (Hugo Weaving is an old boy), Victorian gothic interior with magnificent fireplace and spooky staircases more than compensates.
Experienced staff exact high standards in what still feels like trad prep; has woken up to unpopularity of Saturday lessons and scrapped them; boarding ends in July 2006. For parents who don’t want their children to leave home before 13, The Downs offers as full a programme as you can find in a day prep. Attracts broad social mix and now that school has accepted the inevitable (though Saturday afternoon matches continue most weekends) demand is likely to rise further. Accessible from quite a wide area, being close to junction 19 on the M5 and only ten minutes’ drive from Bristol’s western edge.
Pre-prep’s classroom accommodation being upgraded to provide a better indoor- outdoor facility. Teenies taught to read phonically with a number of schemes (not just ‘Jolly Phonics’) in use. Children not hemmed in by formality and come across as lively but respectful. Music at this level includes recorders; plenty of creativity though thematic work would benefit from more imaginative displays.
School is retaining positives from boarding régime with older ones mostly staying for after school clubs (ranging from warhammer to cookery) or supervised prep until supper at 6.00pm despite formal day ending at 5.10pm. After-school care for pre-prep children also runs until supper. Even second prep and activities session between 6.45 and 8.00pm. is set to continue. Saturday matches off menu every third weekend. Workaday uniform is low key and practical but children don garishly striped blazers (which they refused to have scrapped) for all travel to and from school as well as functions.
The curriculum from year 5 is geared to demands of CE with all subjects, including Latin, French, Spanish and science (separate sciences in years 6, 7 and 8), taught by specialists. There is a new art area but not much provided for DT as yet. New library, which would benefit from a CD-Rom facility, is a long overdue bonus.
Sporting tradition is paramount but head has worked at improving creative and performing arts. Music department is particularly strong with 75% being taught one or more instruments; there are junior and senior choirs plus variety of concerts and productions. Boys’ and girls’ sports teams perform exceptionally well. The Downs has won the prep schools’ rugby sevens at Rosslyn Park more than any other school and the girls are currently national rounders champions and runners-up in hockey. There is an imaginative alternative to games for the less sporty known as The Downs Award Scheme which concentrates on more individual and outward bound type activities and in which everyone participates on Thursdays.
Three specialist teachers support pupils with special needs; department has experience of a range of learning disabilities. Targeted support in literacy and numeracy working well to raise pupil performance.
Older pupils still to benefit from own social areas; children in year 8 have at least one school responsibility so no-one gets left out. ‘Tiffin’ is provided for all mid-morning and afternoon; tasty nosh served up for a fairly formal lunch with staff in the dining-hall which ends in ‘pin drop’ silence while notices are given. Plenty of places outside to let off steam; good use has been made converting a former walled garden into an area for tennis and other ball games. Floodlit Astroturf in the pipeline. Science laboratories adequate for Key Stage 3 and are located adjacent to music school. Large multi-purpose hall suitable for plays and concerts. ICT suite being extended into former dormitory accommodation; definitely not a laptop school and thankfully still a mobile phone free zone. More than adequate sports hall somehow got past planners fifteen or so years ago; bears external scars inflicted by hockey sticks in rowdier days. Heated, outside pool has failed repeated attempts to get it covered but remains popular through summer months.
In a school where manners still matter, we felt that most children would be happy and do well. Not an obvious stomping ground for city slickers but parents from nearby Bristol might be pleasantly surprised at the benefits for children of regular exercise in fresh air.
