The second in our family of international schools, outside of Europe, Downe House Riyadh boasting of world class facilities also opened in 2022. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s first premium, British all-girls’ school enables us to contribute positively to the advancement of girls by sharing our educational values and expertise with them. Girls aged 3 to 18 years have the opportunity to be inspired and challenged as they grow into confident young women preparing to play their part in the world of tomorrow.

Downe House Riyadh took over an existing school and quickly enhanced the reputation and focus of teaching and learning on this exciting site.  Opened with 300 students and with a capacity of 2,200, the school is expected to reach this within 5 years by 2027. Downe House Riyadh is a franchise agreement with Manar Al-Tarbyah Company and the Royal Commission for Riyadh City. Downe House Cold Ash, the home school, is fully involved in all aspects of the education offered in Riyadh.

The ability to contribute positively to the advancement of girls by sharing the Downe House educational values and expertise, is something very special indeed. It is my hope that our family of schools will provide genuine opportunities for collaboration with young people all over the world.

-Mrs Emma McKendrick, Headmistress Downe House

It was a great pleasure and privilege that Downe House was given the opportunity to take over an existing school in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of the country’s desire and commitment to modernise and open up opportunities for all.

Saudi Arabia launched a vision for strategic development, Saudi Vision 2030, that aims to create a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation. A key pillar to achieving this is enhancing its educational provision. This will in part be achieved by embracing support from international education providers.

With the support and backing of the British Embassy Riyadh, the British Department for International Trade, and the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, Downe House has contributed to the continuing development of women’s education by running a day school for girls with a British curriculum. It operates under an international educational license and girls are prepared for GCSEs and A Levels and then universities all over the world.

One of the most attractive elements of a Downe House education is its holistic nature and we are proud to share our commitment to high quality pastoral care and a broad co-curricular and enrichment programme, in addition to high standards of teaching, thus enabling us to develop female leaders of the future.

Everything at Downe House Riyadh has been designed to encourage, stimulate and inspire the girls. The school promotes genuine personal enquiry and intellectual appetite to nurture individual talents and interests beyond the academic and to foster a culture of inclusivity and respect for others. Underpinning this is our comprehensive pastoral system, individualised tutoring and a personal spotlight on every pupil from the day they begin their educational journey at our school.

-Mrs Emma McKendrick, Headmistress Downe House

Girls aged 3 to 18 years have the opportunity to be inspired and challenged as they grow into confident young women preparing to play their part in the world.
Downe House Riyadh offers:

• A first-class British education in the international context of Riyadh leading to IGCSE and A Level examinations
• A broad, all-inclusive curriculum with a proven track record of ensuring that girls graduate to the world’s top universities
• An all-female environment where pupils’ safety, in a state-of-the-art campus is the priority
• Outstanding pastoral care and opportunities for personal development
• Subject specialist teaching in every year group and in all subjects from Year 5 upwards
• A broad range of co-curricular activities as part of a fulfilling and enriching extended school day

The links between the Downe House UK and our sister school in Riyadh are genuine and strong both in philosophy and practice. A Downe House education is unique; at the heart of its ethos is the individual. We understand that each girl has her own distinctive strengths, challenges and interests, and every learning pathway will be bespoke. This ethos underpins the whole School community to provide a truly personalised learning environment.