The Downs School
Performance (KS4 GCSE)
Three-year trends
Last three years of DfE data. How to read trends
Ofsted judgements
Getting a place
The cut-off distance is how far the last child offered a place lived, not a catchment boundary: it moves every year with the number of applicants. Published by the council in its 2026 allocation figures, and checked against that document before we show it.
Application figures: DfE, school level applications and offers (2026 intake).
School profile
- Age range
- 11–18
- Pupils on roll
- 1,437
- Gender
- Mixed
- Admissions
- Non-Selective
Pupil background
“Typical” = the median secondary school in England. What this means
Nearby secondary schools
Location
Official sources
School overview
The Downs School is a secondary school serving Newbury, West Berkshire, classified by the DfE as a converter academy. It has 1,437 pupils aged 11 to 18 on roll. The school's average Attainment 8 score in the latest GCSE results was 53.4 — above the national average (national average: 46). Its Attainment 8 score has risen by 0.8 points year on year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it among the top 18% of secondary schools in England.
54% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in both English and maths, above the national average of about 45%. 77% achieved a standard pass (grade 4+) in English and maths. The Downs School is oversubscribed: about 8 in 10 of the families who made it their first choice were offered a Year 7 place for September 2026, with 249 first choices for 204 places. In 2026 the furthest child offered a place lived 3.79 miles from the school in a straight line, according to the council's published allocation figures; the distance changes every year with demand. Its intake is relatively advantaged, with around 11% of pupils eligible for free school meals in the last six years versus about 24% nationally. The Downs School does not currently have a recent graded Ofsted judgement on record (often the case for newer or recently converted schools), so it is worth asking when its next inspection is expected. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.