Key Facts

Extra-Curricular and Leisure Programmes

2007 - 2008 WEEKEND ACTIVITIES

 

This has been another tremendously busy year for the girls. They have been varied, some exciting, some constructive, some artistic and some that have stretched the girls in the appreciation of the world and all its wonders. Girls have had the opportunity to take part in a very great range of activities at weekends which build upon, and take place around, the yearly programme of major events such as House Drama, Music Weekend, the School Concert and Sports Day as well as several excellent charity fund raising events.

The year began with our centenary celebration weekend event – ‘It's a Knockout'. Much foam, fun and fantastic enjoyment was had by all in the wonderful summer sunshine. The final event saw senior staff compete against the girls in the foam madhouse race. Naturally, the girls won.

 

 

Our traditional Michaelmas weekend activities took place. These included the Newbury Show, socials and Wellington Fireworks. These were complemented with trips to the Turner Retrospective at the Tate Gallery, Marwell Activities Centre, the Snow Queen Ballet and skiing in Milton Keynes.

The last weekend of the term saw the girls enjoy Christmas meals with their Houses and many girls visiting the Clothes Show in Birmingham.

During the Lent term the girls have experienced the Nutcracker Ballet in Oxford while a large group visited the Move It Dance Exhibition at Olympia to build upon the excellent work done by our dance teachers and girls during regular weekday evening classes. A group of girls also visited the Tutankhamen Exhibition in the O2 in London and Milton Keynes to enjoy the Airkix indoor skydiving. One of the opportunities we provided was a trip to the Royal Albert Hall to see Tosca. We finished our term with a major Charity Fashion Show which raised a large sum of money. To celebrate St Patrick's Day girls watched the London Irish v Wasps rugby match in Reading.

The Summer Term is a full, balanced and intensive programme. The term begins with in house team building events. Girls end the year with another weekend of in house team bonding activities before House outings to the London theatres. In between we have seen girls visit Thorpe Park, Disney High School Musical, and the cinema.

One of the important opportunities this term was an overnight visit to the Battlefields of World War One in the Ypres Salient. This was a first attempt at such an adventurous weekend trip. It was a great success and something of which the girls who took part should be proud so that we hope to repeat and develop the trip in 2008-9.

 

 

 

We also celebrate the achievements of our girls who take dance classes with the Dance Showcase. Ballet, tap and modern dance is shown to parents and the rest of the school in our Performing Arts Centre giving girls who study dance with our teachers a chance to show what they have learnt during the year. This year's Showcase was a triumph - another celebration of the girl's hard work and talent.

The weekend activities have included a range of free events for the girls, more of which will follow during the coming year. We have provided the opportunity to take part in Laser Clay Pigeon Shooting, a First Aid Course, Street Jazz Dance Workshop, Christmas and Mother's Day Workshops and Mountain Biking. The school has also made available a range of open house activities for girls to join such as Volleyball, fun swims, cookery and technology. We also hope to develop these further next year.

Activities

Having the opportunity to develop a whole range of skills and interests is one of the many benefits of boarding school life! Every day is busy at Downe House. Our girls like to be involved in a wide range of events, interests, activities and opportunities out of the classroom while they live with us. We like to provide those opportunities. As such, we have widened the range of activities available to the girls through open room events such as cookery and jewellery making on Sundays, Friday evening short courses for the Upper Fourth and offering new classes in a number of activities.

 

 

 

The programme of activities on offer this term includes:

CLUBS, SOCIETIES AND REGULAR ACTIVITIES
Monday
6.00 – 6.20pm	Lower School Music Practices	Rem – LIV	Music School
6.00 – 6.30pm	Free Swim	All Years	Pool
6.00 – 6.45pm	Latin Club	Rem – UIV	Room O
6.00 – 7.00pm	1st Orchestra	All Years	Concert Room
6.00 – 7.00pm	Chamber Orchestra	All Years	Room V
6.00 – 9.00pm	Ballet	All Years	Dance Studio
6.15 – 7.45pm	Snorkelling (After Half-Term)	Rem	Pool
6.30 – 7.30pm	Squash Training	UV - UVI	Squash courts
6.30 – 7.30pm	Debating and Public Speaking Society	LV – UVI	G4 and E
6.30 – 8.00pm	Gym Club	All Years	Sports Hall
6.30 – 7.45pm	Art Club (After Half-Term)	All Years	Art Studios
7.00 – 8.30pm	Channel H	All Years	Room H
7.45 – 8.45pm	Scuba Diving (After Half-Term)	LIV - UVI	Pool
Tuesday
6.00 – 6.45pm	Free Swim	All Years	Pool
6.00 – 7.00pm	Junior Choral	Rem - UIV	Concert Room
6.00 – 7.00pm	Lower School Choir	Rem - LIV	Chapel
6.00 – 7.00pm	Repertory Choir	LV	Room V
6.15 – 8.15pm	Senior Lacrosse Training	UV - UVI	Sports Hall
6.15 – 7.15pm	Senior Hockey Training	UV - UVI	Field (All Weather pitch)
6.30 – 9.00pm	Ballet	All Years	Dance Studio
7.00 – 8.30pm	Confirmation Classes	LV	Lovelock
7.15pm	Science Society	UV upwards	PAC (Occasionally)
7.15pm	Sixth Form Lecture	LVI	PAC (Occasionally)
7.30 – 8.15pm	Junior Squash Training	Rem – LV	Squash Courts
Wednesday
4.30 – 7.30pm	Horse Riding (After Half-Term)	All Years	Wellington Riding School
4.45 – 5.30pm	Greek Club	Rem – UIV	Room O
4.45 – 5.45pm	Free Swim (When no Swimming Match)	All Years	Pool
4.45 – 5.45pm	Science Club	Rem	SC1
4.45 – 6.00pm	Pottery (After Half-Term)	All Years	Pottery Room
5.30 – 6.30pm	Young Enterprise	LVI	Geography Department
6.30 – 9.00pm	Ballet	All Years	Dance Studio
7.00 – 8.30pm	Christian Union (Downe to Earth)	All Years	Lovelock
Thursday
6.00 – 6.20pm	Lower School Music Practices	Rem – LIV	Music School
6.00 – 7.00pm	2 nd Orchestra	Rem - UIV	Concert Room
6.00 – 7.00pm	Choral	UV - UVI	Chapel
6.00 – 8.45pm	Polo (After Half-Term)	LIV - UIV	Maywood Polo Club
6.00 – 9.00pm	Fencing (After Half-Term)	All Years	Farr Centre
6.00 – 9.00pm	Street & Hip Hop dance (After Half-Term)	UIV – UVI	Farr Centre
6.15 – 9.15pm	Tap Dance	All Years	Dance Studio
6.15 – 9.15pm	Modern Dance (After Half-Term)	All Years	Dance Studio
6.30 – 8.30pm	Scuba Diving (After Half-Term)	LIV - UVI	Pool
7.00 – 8.30pm	Channel H	All Years	Room H
Friday
6.00 – 6.20pm	Lower School Music Practices	Rem – LIV	Music School
8.30 – 9.00am	Chamber Orchestra	All Years	Concert Room
8.30 – 9.00am	2 nd Orchestra	Rem - UIV	Room 17 & V
5.30 – 9.00pm	Modern Dance (After Half-Term)	All Years	Dance Studio
6.00 – 6.45pm	Free Swim	All Years	Pool
6.00 – 7.00pm	Big Band	All Years	Concert Room
6.00 – 8.45pm	Polo (After Half-Term)	LIV - UVI	Maywood Polo Club
Saturday
8.30 – 9.00am	Choral	UV – UVI	Chapel
8.30 – 9.00am	Junior Choral	Rem – UIV	Concert Room
Sunday
1.00 – 3.00pm	Silver Jewellery Club	All Years	Textiles
Other
Various	Book Clubs	All Years	Barn Library
Various	Enrichment Lectures and Workshops	All Years (Usually by Invitation)
Various	BOOM! Lectures	Rem – LIV (Usually by Invitation)
Various	Lower School Drama Club	Rem – LIV	Drama Studio
Various	Debating and Public Speaking Workshops	Rem – UIV
Various	Technology Club	LIV – UIV	Technology Rooms
Various	Duke of Edinburgh	LV – UVI
Various	Politics Society	UV – UVI

 

To support these activities we have entered girls at Stonar ISODE, attended the Royal Ballet for lessons, taken groups to the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and New Theatre, Oxford, seen girls compete in local polo competitions.

One of our major successes is the great enjoyment of dance. More girls every year, and others want to, take part in dance classes – modern, tap and ballet. This success was celebrated in May at the Dance Showcase. Another triumph of organisation by Mrs Dell and the dance teachers as well as a tremendous display of dance skills by our girls.

Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme

A large number of girls take the opportunity to do the Duke of Edinburgh (D of E) Award scheme. Around 80% sign up for the Award giving them an excellent frame work to complete a balanced program that includes taking part in a physical recreational activity, learning a skill, giving service to the community and completing a self sufficient adventurous expedition.

This gives them the opportunity to improve their self-confidence, independence and discover new talents and abilities.

To date, the practice Bronze expeditions have been held in the local Berkshire area and assessments have taken place in Marlborough and the New Forest. The Gold practise expeditions take place in the Peak District and Dartmoor with assessment taking place in Wales.

The community service element involves voluntary work that aids others such as helping children at Scouts, local nurseries, primary schools and helping those with special needs at school. Others have helped with disabled riding, entertaining the elderly and taking part in environmental projects such as conservation work at Bowdon Woods. Some have also been with the Police and Fire Brigades and have learnt to become future Lifesavers or First Aiders.

Some of the skills that the girls have taken up include learning a musical instrument, singing, cooking and learning to care & handle horses.

A broad number of physical recreational activities are offered which gives more scope to suit individual preference. Some of most popular activities include horse riding, ballet, tap dancing, swimming, lacrosse, netball, hockey, athletics, squash and tennis.

With the growing number of opportunities offered to the girls the number successfully completing the Award looks promising.

Community Service and International Links

As well as having the opportunity to develop individual interests and skills, the school encourages girls to take part in its community service programme. We have managed to widen the scope of our community service activities. Girls may help out at a local primary school, with the handicapped children, the elderly or in the community generally. Great value is placed on giving something back and developing a sense of service.

Impressively, most of the School now has a link with a foreign school with which community service of some sort is being created. Girls from the Lower School were the first to visit a foreign link school. They went to Bucharest in the May half-term 2007 to join with children from Scoala No. 85. As well as work in class the children visited a ballet and with the British Ambassador in his Embassy.

Tedworth have visited to their link school in South Africa. Holcombe are planning a visit to Ibenga School in Zambia. AGN are working with Puwakdandawa School in Sri Lanka. Girls from the Sixth Form stayed at Acts of Hope School in Bangalore, India during their Christmas holidays. These links are an outstanding achievement and something that every girl who makes a contribution to should be proud of having done.

Charities

The girls have raised a large amount of money for the following charities:

Raised By	For	Amount
Removes Family Lunch	Hopital des Enfants	£520.00
Removes Allegra Tillman Summer Fete	Teenage Cancer Trust	£60.00
Lower School	Riding for the disabled Association	£947.67
L4 Car Boot sales	Cancer Research	£75.75
Aisholt Charity Movie Night	Teenage Cancer Trust	£585.00
Aisholt Cake Sale	Victims of Burmese Cyclone	£140.59
AGS ‘at Home' Quiz and Bingo Night	Children with Leukaemia	£2145.58
AGN Quiz Night	Hop, Skip and Jump (Cotswolds)	£795.82
AGN Cake Sale	Mercy Ministries	£130.54
Holcombe	Help for Heroes	£400.00
Holcombe	Sports Relief	£230.00
Holcombe	Noah's Ark Charity	£220.00
Holcombe	Blue Peter Christmas Appeal
Holcombe Charity Raffle	Ibenga School, Zambia	£276.30
Tedworth	Tigerkloof	£775.11
Willis House Tracksuit Bottoms	Cancer Research UK	£405.00
Willis Charity Walk	Hope and Homes for Children	TBC
	Maru-a-Pula School Orphans Bursary Fund	TBC
AGN UIV AGG and SS Mufti Day and Cake Sale	Christian Aid's “Present Aid” scheme. •  6 x disaster kits ( rice, lentils, potatoes, matches and oil ) for flood and earthquake victims. •  6 pigs ( for every 12 piglets born, two are passed onto another family thus providing food and income) •  32 ducks ( sell, eat their eggs and barter with them) •  3x community taps ( funding for 1 tap provides the pump, pipes and tap stand to bring fresh water to an entire village) •  2 herds of goats ( milk to drink, droppings to fertilise the land and help grow vegetables, kits to sell thus providing income)	£417.00
LV KAB Cake Sale and Sponge Throwing	Watoto Leadership Development Project Child Soldier Rehabilitation	£130.00
Chapel Collections Mich 07	Reading Single Homeless Project	£338.70
	Bala Orphanage (Junior Carol Service)	£595.20
	Feed the Children (Harvest Festival)	£389.32
	Help for Heroes (Remembrance Sunday)	£209.44
	Hope and Homes for Children (Junior Carol Service)	£595.20
	Sophie's Silver Lining Fund (Senior Carol Service)	£1466.04
Chapel Collections Lent 08	Reading Single Homeless Project	£233.99
Chapel Collections Summer 08	Challenge Everest 2008	TBC
	Hopital des Enfants de Purpan (Music Weekend)	£441.61
	Music for Hospitals (Music Weekend)	£260.67
Confirmation Service Nov 07	Bala Orphanage	£407.79
	Bishop of Oxford's Outreach Fund	£407.79
Confirmation Service Feb 08	Bishop of Oxford's Outreach Fund	£532.66
	Acts of Hope, Bangalore, India	£562.66
St Paul's Centenary Service	House of Hope, Nepal	£2597.52
	Hope and Homes for Children	£2597.52
Charity Drama Feb 08	Marie Curie Cancer Fund	£333.52
LV Play	Mercy Ministries	TBC
U5 Production	Supportline	£100.00
All	Fairtrade	£1210.00
All	The Rainbow Trust	£2769.20
Pupils	Uganda Visit by 2 members of staff	£500.00
Pupils	LEPRA Appeal	£1541.00
Environment Week Green Mufti Day	Sepilok Orangutan Appeal UK	£122.72
	Rainforest Concern- 6 acres of the Choco-Andean Rainforest Corridor in Ecuador	£122.72
	World Challenge expedition to China to improve the gardens and/or implement eco-friendly features surrounding the school they are working at this summer	£122.72
Staff	Macmillan Cancer Nurses	£118.35
Charity Collection at Newbury Racecourse 1 Dec 07	Help for Heroes	£3101.04
Wellington College Social	WC (Rumble in the Jungle)	£1050.00
Charity Swimathon Dec 07	Naomi House Hospice	£1740.55
Charity Jumble Sale	Invisible Children	£489.00
Charity Walk	Cancer Research UK	£440.00
Charity Soup Lunch	Shelter Christmas Lunch Appeal	£55.00
ECA Charity Cinema	Help for Heroes	£250.00
Medley Lectures	Women Fighting Breast Cancer	£550.00
Fashion Show	Teenage Cancer Trust	£5291.62
English Department	Readathon	£646.00
PE Sock Day	Sports Relief	£490.00
World Challenge	Chinese communities after the China earthquake	£221.46
Downe to Devon charity walk	Cancer Research	£6800.00
Donations	Jog On	£70.00
Classics Department	Books to Romanian Library

Trips

Many school trips take place each year. Most departments throughout the school contribute with their educational visits programme. Visits led by departments have been tremendously varied including Reading Synagogue, National Gallery, numerous plays, conferences and lectures, The Houses of Parliament and study days to support A Level courses. For our Centenary Study Day in March pupils in Removes and L4 visited the Science Museum while the U4 went to Warwick Castle.

Weekends also see a great depth in events offered to the girls. We have provided opportunities to see ballet, music and drama; take part in paintballing and go ape ropes challenge courses, socials with other schools including reeling socials, bowling, outward bound activities, visit art galleries and museums. Social activities with other schools also play an important part in the termly activity calendar and provide the opportunity to meet new people.

 

Residential visits saw our girls overseas in Berlin, Paris, Normandy, Florence, St Petersburg, Prague and Iceland and Musical and Sports tours, as well as regular ski trips, also form part of the normal programme of events. In addition, a number of girls have benefited from the expeditions to Indonesia and Venezuela with World Challenge, which have taken place in recent years.

View recent trips here

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In This Section

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• University Successes/Leavers' Destinations

Poppy Mankowitz wins first prize in the Corpus Christi Philosophy Essay Competition 2007-08

The competition is open to all students in Year 12 and essay titles are set by Corpus Christi. Poppy will be attending the Prize Giving on 3 July.

Head Senior, Annie Hillier, wins a place in the finals of the Young Designers Competition

Annie entered her design for her AS Level Product Design Resistant Materials coursework and has been selected as one of the 20 finalists. She will take her project and portfolio to the Finals, which will be held at Dulwich College in London on 20 June 2008.

Medley Lecture: Tuesday 16th September 2008 7.30 pm PAC

Dan Cruikshank - 'Adventures in Architecture'

Dan is a leading expert on architecture and historic buildings and a regular presenter on the BBC. He is best known for his popular series Britain's Best Buildings and Around The World in 80 Treasures; and for his appearances in Under Fire and What The Industrial Revolution Did For Us.

Downe House School goes on 'tour'

Sunday, 10 August 2008

Performances at 11am and 6pm at 'The Dell', the outdoor performance space in the RSC Centenary Gardens, bordered by the river and Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon.

Bring a picnic, all welcome!

Amazing success for Downe House's Young Enterprise companies!

 

Romeo and Juliet was this year's school production staged over Music Weekend

2nd - 4th May in the Performing Arts Centre

Medley Lecture 6 May 2008 7.30pm PAC

‘Times' writer Mary Ann Sieghart gives Summer Term Medley Lecture

Richard Benyon MP visits Downe House

Newbury's MP, Richard Benyon, visited Downe House on 25th April speak to thePolitics Society about his work in the House of Commons and the constituency.

National Youth Theatre

Congratulations to Emma Powell (U5) who was selected for NYT's highly acclaimed acting course.

See also Speech and Drama Successes!

 

Charity Fashion Show raises over £5,500 for Teenage Cancer Trust

On Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th March, Downe House hosted a charity fashion show. The events were organised by Rosie Fortescue, Georgiana Haig and Celia Thursfield, in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust, raising a total of just over £5,500.

Literary Event - Sunday, 16 March

Gillian Clarke, renowned poet, who has written poetry and prose for children and adults, visited Downe House on Sunday, 16 March. Her poetry reading began with her first publsihed poem 'The Sundial' and the audience were immediately impressed by her passionate and erudite ideas......

Medley Lecture on Friday, 7 March

Diane Louise Jordan, businesswoman and one of the most popular presenters of BBC One's Songs of Praise, gave a talk and answered questions about how her faith influences the way she conducts her own business life and on matters relating to business ethics and corporate social responsibility more generally.

House Drama Productions DVD for sale

If you missed House Drama, or would like to see your daughter's performance again, a professional Double DVD recording by Kingsbridge AV Limited of all five productions will be available to order at a cost of £22.50 each.

Click here to find out how to order

Schools Competition Act Settlement Trust

This Trust was established in November 2006 as part of the agreed resolution of the OFT's recent investigation.

The objects of the Trust are to:

• Make awards or bursaries to beneficiaries which can be used in pursuit of higher or further education;
• Provision of financial assistance, including equipment and travel, to beneficiaries in the pursuit of their studies or research; and otherwise furthering the education of the beneficiaries.

There are three criteria for eligibility:

• You must have attended Downe House after 15 September 2001
• You must have reached the age of 18, but be younger than 30, on the date that the Bursary or Grant would be due to be paid to you
• Six years must have elapsed from the date when you began attending the school.

For further details go to <Joining Downe> and click on <Scholarships>