The Downs School
Manor Crescent, Compton, Newbury, RG20 6AD
- Phase
- Secondary
- School type
- Academy converter
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Trust
- SUMMIT EDUCATION TRUST
- Headteacher
- Mr Chris Prosser
- Admissions policy
- Non-selective
- Constituency
- Reading West and Mid Berkshire
- Setting
- Larger rural: Further from a major town or city
- Capacity
- 1,307
- URN
- 151957
- Local authority
- West Berkshire
- Website
- School website
- Telephone
- 01635270000
About this school
The Downs School is a secondary academy in Newbury. It teaches children aged 11 to 18.
Ofsted has inspected The Downs School, and its latest judgement is set out below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.
Ofsted judgement
Ofsted did not give an overall grade. Between September 2024 and September 2025 inspections graded each area of a school's work without a single overall judgement, ahead of the move to report cards. How Ofsted report cards work
- Quality of education
- Outstanding
- Behaviour and attitudes
- Outstanding
- Personal development
- Outstanding
- Leadership and management
- Good
- Sixth form
- Outstanding
- Safeguarding
- Effective
This inspection took place when the school was registered as The Downs School (URN 110102).
How The Downs School compares
| School | Attainment 8 (2024/25) | Absence | FSM (6 years) | Pupils | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | — | — | — | — | — |
| St Birinus School | 48.2 | 8.9% | 16.8% | 1,237 | 6.1 miles |
| UTC Oxfordshire | 32.5 | 14.9% | 29.8% | 316 | 6.3 miles |
| Aureus School | 33.7 | 13.4% | 33.8% | 531 | 6.4 miles |
| Didcot Girls' School | 58.8 | 7.5% | 13.2% | 1,633 | 6.5 miles |
| Trinity School | 42.9 | 10.3% | 22.5% | 1,349 | 7.5 miles |
Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.
Location
Nearby schools
-
St Birinus School6.1 miles
Secondary · Didcot
-
UTC Oxfordshire6.3 miles
Secondary · Didcot
-
Aureus School6.4 miles
Secondary · Didcot
-
Didcot Girls' School6.5 miles
Secondary · Didcot
-
Trinity School7.5 miles
Secondary · Newbury
Other schools in Newbury
- Park House School Secondary
- St Bartholomew's School Secondary
- The Clere School Secondary
- Trinity School Secondary
- Victoria Park Nursery School Nursery
- Beedon C.E. (Controlled) Primary School Primary
- Brightwalton C.E. Aided Primary School Primary
- Burghclere Primary School Primary
- Chaddleworth St Andrew's C.E. Primary School Primary
- Chieveley Primary School Primary
- Compton C.E. Primary School Primary
- Ecchinswell and Sydmonton Church of England Primary School Primary
Common questions
- What ages does The Downs School teach?
- The Downs School teaches children aged 11 to 18. It is a secondary school in Newbury.
- Who is the headteacher of The Downs School?
- The headteacher of The Downs School is Mr Chris Prosser, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
- Has The Downs School been inspected?
- Ofsted has inspected The Downs School, and its latest judgement is set out in the inspection section on this page, with the framework and the date it was made.
- Is The Downs School a faith school?
- No. The Downs School has no designated religious character.
- Is The Downs School a selective school?
- No. The Downs School is recorded as non-selective in the schools register.
- Is The Downs School part of an academy trust?
- The Downs School is part of SUMMIT EDUCATION TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
- Does The Downs School publish exam results?
- OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for The Downs School. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.
School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 10 July 2026.