United Kingdom · Cold Ash, Berkshire · Founded 1907
Downe House
A term in the school's own house in the Dordogne for every twelve-year-old, strong academics and a full-boarding girls' community.
The character
Downe House is academic, pretty and purposeful. The French term at Veyrines is a formative rite, the houses are close, the results are excellent and the school produces girls who are articulate without being loud. It is a serious rival to Wycombe for families who want a slightly softer edge.
Good for
Academic girls, French, full boarding
Less suited to
Day pupils, sport-first families
Getting in
Entry at 11 and 13 with assessments and interviews, a small entry at 16; register early.
What it costs in total
At about £ 53,000 a year for boarding, the 5 years from 13 to 18 add up to roughly €353,000 in today’s money including typical extras, before fee increases, tutoring and flights. The Education Cost Calculator adds inflation, extras and a second child.
Fees are rounded 2025/26 figures from the school’s own schedule and change every year. The school’s current fee sheet prevails. The picture is an impression of the setting, not a photograph of the campus.
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