This guide explains what international families should know about Downsend School（唐森德学校）in Surrey, England: the programmes on offer, how entry works, what it costs from September 2026, and the application support available to students coming from overseas. All facts come from the school’s official website (downsend.co.uk) as accessed on August 6, 2026. The school’s own website describes its own situation only; it is not evidence for rankings or comparisons with other schools, and figures should be checked against the latest official version when you apply.
About Downsend School and its campuses
Downsend Schoolis a co-educational independent school in Surrey with a history reaching back to 1898, when it began as a boys’ preparatory school in Hampstead before moving to its current site; boarding ended in 1968 and the school later became fully co-educational. Today the main campus sits on Leatherhead Road, between Leatherhead and Ashtead, and the website says it is a short walk from both towns and easy to reach by road, rail and bus. The main campus houses Downsend Junior (Years 3–6) and Downsend Senior (Years 7–11), with a separate purpose-built campus in central Leatherhead for Downsend Sixth (A-Level). The youngest children attend Little Downsend settings in Victorian townhouses across Ashtead, Epsom and Leatherhead. The school is part of the Cognita group, which the website describes as a global family of more than 100 schools; each school keeps its own character. The main site offers extensive facilities including a Creative Arts Centre with a 200-seat auditorium, five science laboratories, design and technology, art and textiles studios, libraries, sports pitches, an all-weather astro turf, six tennis courts, a 25-metre indoor pool and a full-size sports hall.
Programmes and curriculum at Downsend School
Downsend Schoolorganises learning by age stage. In the Junior School (Years 3–6), the website lists core subjects including reading and comprehension, writing, spelling and vocabulary, speaking and listening, maths, science, geography, history, French, religious studies, computing, art, design technology, drama, music, PE and games, and PSHE; each term pupils study a cross-curricular theme, and progress is assessed with GL Progress Tests in English and maths plus CAT4 tests. In the Senior School (Years 7–11) pupils move through the GCSE stage; a Senior building added in 2023 provides modern teaching space for GCSE pupils and currently houses the Modern Foreign Languages faculty. Downsend Sixth, the school’s A-Level stage, is a purpose-built off-site campus in central Leatherhead with two science labs, an art studio, an innovation room, a library and learning resource centre and a café; it combines A-Level study with the D6 Core and D6 Future Ready programmes, D6 Electives and D6 Leadership, and every student takes part in the Global Impact Project. The school describes its approach as a “Future Skills” vision, aiming for academic outcomes alongside resilience, teamwork and creativity.
Entry requirements and the application process
Downsend Schoolpublishes a six-step admissions process: make contact, visit the school, register and pay the registration fee, attend an assessment day, receive the offer, and confirm the place. Registration asks for a current school report and a reference. Assessment days are informal days of activities with online and paper-based tests; for 2026–27 the website lists Junior assessment days (Years 2–6) on 24–25 November 2026 and 26–27 January 2027, and Senior assessment days (Years 7–11) on 18–20 November 2026 and 20–21 January 2027, with Senior scholarship assessments (Years 7–9) on 21 November 2026. Places at assessment days are capped, so earlier registrations are booked into the earlier dates. The school aims to make offer decisions within about two weeks of the assessment day. To confirm a place you return the paperwork by the given deadline and pay the deposit: from Reception to Year 13 the registration fee is £180 (non-refundable) and the confirmation deposit is £750 (refundable in line with terms), while nursery registration is £80 with a £100 deposit. Offers are time-limited, and where places are full a child may be added to a waiting list.
Fees and additional costs from September 2026
Downsend Schoolpublishes termly fees from September 2026 (tuition includes VAT; lunch is exempt). Reception tuition is £5,725 plus a compulsory £375 lunch fee, totalling £6,100 per term; Year 1 totals £6,253 (£5,878 + £375); Year 2 totals £6,671 (£6,296 + £375); Years 3–6 total £8,486 (£8,111 + £375); Years 7–8 total £8,843 (£8,468 + £375); Years 9–11 total £9,865 (£9,490 + £375); and Years 12–13 are £9,490 tuition with no lunch fee listed. Nursery fees are charged by attendance pattern: for example, Bright Beginners and Early Learners attending five days a week full-time (07:45–16:00) are £5,845 per term, with lower rates for fewer days. Sibling discounts of 5%, 10% and 15% apply for the second, third and fourth child respectively in Reception and above. Additional charges include Early Birds care at £7.50 per day for Years 3–11, Extended Day at £15 per day for Years 3–6 (to 17:45, with a light tea), supervised study at £12 per day for Years 7–11, a £75 Year 3 music scheme contribution, and GCSE exam fees per subject. Fees are invoiced termly in advance, with monthly instalments available through School Fee Plan. A pupil personal accident insurance policy is arranged automatically, currently £9.45 per academic year, charged on the first invoice.
International admissions at Downsend School
Downsend Schoolwelcome international students and states clearly that British, EU and international students pay the same fees regardless of nationality or immigration status. Applicants who are not native English speakers meet online with a member of Cognita’s international team for an informal assessment of their English level; the team then advises whether additional English support would help before or during the first year. Students who need English as an Additional Language support may be referred to Ardmore, Cognita’s English language school, which has over 35 years of experience and an online platform, Ardmore X, for teacher-led and independent study before term starts and during the first terms. International students who receive an offer accept their place by completing an acceptance form and paying a deposit equal to one term’s fees; the deposit is returned at the end of the student’s time at the school provided proper notice is given and all fees are settled. For visas, Cognita holds a licence to sponsor Child Student visas; families needing sponsorship are asked to settle the academic year’s fees in full and pay a £600 administration fee for each Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) in advance. The international team also supports parents of children aged 4 to 11 who wish to join their children under the Parent of a Child Student visa route, and the school welcomes students who are dependants of investor, skilled worker and diplomatic visa holders, among other routes.
Application support and useful timing
For families considering Downsend School, the school’s website gives several practical hooks. Open days and visits run through the year: a main campus Open Day on Saturday 12 September 2026 (9:00–11:30), a Downsend Sixth open evening on 24 September 2026 (18:00–20:00), campus tours for Sixth from late August, and Little Downsend open days in October. The admissions team is available all year round for enquiries and private tours. After an offer, the Offer Pack includes the offer letter, parent contract and terms, the school’s values document, a pupil health record form and an acceptance of place form. If you are planning an international application, build the timeline around the key financial steps: the international deposit of one term’s fees at acceptance, and the full year’s fees plus £600 per CAS before visa sponsorship. Leave enough time for the online English assessment with Cognita’s international team, any Ardmore English preparation, and visa paperwork. All figures in this guide are the school’s published rates from September 2026; confirm the current schedule on the school’s website before applying. For advice tailored to your family’s circumstances, your child’s age and your target entry year, speak to the consultants on this site.