SCHOLARSHIPS & AWARDS

ACADEMIC • Art • DrAMA • MusIC • sport

also includes details on Headmistress’s Award

IntroductionThe pursuit of excellence is at the heart of the education that we aim to offer at Downe House. A fundamental partof that is recognising girls who have particular gifts and talents and celebrating, rewarding and nurturing these.

Downe House offers scholarships to girls with exceptional academic potential as well as excellent ability in Music,Art, Drama or Sport. There is also a Headmistress’ Award for girls who have the capacity to make an outstandingall-round contribution to the school community. Candidates will have a track record which shows high levels ofcommitment, engagement and, of course, ability in their chosen area(s). We recognise how much scholars andexhibitioners give to the community and how much they can inspire others. We also recognise that we have aresponsibility to them and they will, therefore, have the opportunity to develop their talents further and to deepentheir interest through a programme of specialist activities. This programme is evolving all the time.

I hope that you will find all the information you require readily to hand in this booklet about our scholarships butplease do not hesitate to ask if anything remains unclear.

Emma McKendrickHeadmistress

Co-Ordinator for theOutstandingly Able, Mrs Jane Caiger-SmithThe Heads of Section have the greatpleasure of working closely with thescholars, exhibitioners and award holders,and the outstandingly able to help themfeel at ease and to work at levels thatsatisfy them. The Heads of Section, along with Mrs Jane Caiger-Smith, worktogether to ensure that all academic andpastoral staff understand each pupil’sindividual abilities, talents, aspirations, and personal interests so that they can be guided, gently, to takeup opportunities that will allow them to stretch above and beyond the curriculum.

At different times throughout the academic year, we offer these girls the opportunity to meet togetherfor discussions, dinners, to attend lectures, to host visitors from other schools, to go on special tripswhich have the specific purpose of stretching them in a specific area or in a more general way. We,with the help of colleagues, seek to give these girls perspectives and insights that challenge and inspirethem. Our door is always open to girls who may feel that they would benefit from mentoring, or whojust wish to have a member of the teaching staff sharing a triumph, a disappointment, a personalstory or an aspiration.

The Heads of Lower and Upper School will interview all potential scholars.

Academic AwardsThe Olive Willis Under 14 Scholarships, Under 13 Downe House Scholarships and Under 12 Downe HouseScholarships are awarded on the results of examinations and interviews with the Headmistress, Head of LowerSchool and other relevant members of staff and are held each year in January. In addition to these majorAwards, Exhibitions may be awarded in each age group. Further Minor Awards for excellence in specific fieldsmay be made if candidates of sufficient merit present themselves.

Awards (Scholarships and Exhibitions) are also available for entry to the Sixth Form.

Duties of an Academic Award Holder

An Academic Award is an honour and is held subject to a girl maintaining a reasonable standard of endeavourand conduct during her time at the School. There are no particular further duties for an academic scholar,although she will be expected to set an example in the way in which she approaches her studies.

Eligibility and Procedures

Age of entry will normally be in line with general entry, i.e., 11+, 12+, 13+ and Sixth Form (16+). Candidatesmust be under 12, under 13 or under 14 on the 1st September following the examination. Girls sitting for entryto the Sixth Form must be in the final year of their GCSE studies or equivalent.

All the papers set for the various Scholarship examinations need no special preparation. In the case of the U12,U13 and U14 Awards, the content of the papers will be in line with the Common Entrance. The papers sat bySixth Form candidates will be based on GCSE syllabuses.

The questions are devised to test ability and potential rather than achievements alone, and differences in thesyllabuses which candidates have followed will be taken into account.

Sixth Form candidates will sit examinations papers at their own school. In addition they will be interviewed bythe Headmistress, Head of Sixth Form and other relevant members of staff.

U12, U13 and U14 candidates will sit the examination papers at their own school.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend Downe House where they will be interviewed by theHeadmistress, Head of Lower School and other relevant members of staff.

Current Headteachers are asked to write reports on their candidate’s academic ability and progress andpersonal qualities, which will be given careful consideration.

There is no examination fee. Girls who are not already entered for the School will be required to register beforesitting for an Award.

Academic Scholar – Honor LoveridgeFor me, being awarded an Academic Scholarship was an immense honour.However, it is not just something that I am extremely proud of: it has bothdeveloped my confidence in my own abilities as well as enabling a huge rangeof opportunities that would not otherwise be available.

Downe House is a truly fantastic school, on all fronts, but from being anacademic scholar I have been able to take full advantage of the outside opportunities that havearisen. I thoroughly appreciated the chance to take part in the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Faith inthe World Competition where I wrote an essay on “Must you be religious to be good”.

I think it would be wrong not to mention that being an academic scholar is challenging, demandingon your time and not without its expectations, however all this has taught me how to manage myselfand my organisation better. I have always been determined and conscientious so pushing myself toohard has often been an issue, but being an academic scholar has shown me that although alwaysstriving to achieve the best is great, one should not overload oneself with pressure. So I do like tothink I cope better now. My Academic Scholarship is a great privilege and something I really cherish.

Art DepartmentIf you want to find passion at Downe House you will find it in the Art Department. You will find it in the Remove(Year 7) who shouts in delight as she produces a wax crayon rubbing. You will find it in the LVI (Year 12) as shelearns how to control a paintbrush to apply oil paint and you will find it in the UIV (Year 9) as she realises that artis a means of expressing all her ideas and emotions. But most of all you will find it in the Art Department Staff.

The Art Department Staff are all subject specialists with a high level of commitment and dedication. They workextremely hard to produce contemporary schemes of work to inspire the pupils, and the presentation of work isconsidered to be very important.

The Art Department facilities consist of three art studios, a pottery, a photography studio, darkroom and an ArtHistory suite. All pupils study art for the first three years. Pupils may then opt to pursue Fine Art at GCSE level,AS and A Level.

Art History is offered as a Pre-U subject in the Sixth Form.

Photography is offered as an AS and A Level option in the Sixth Form and pupils work in dedicated studios withlighting and ICT equipment.

Pupils have the opportunity to work in a wide range of media often on a large scale. Paintings are produced inacrylic, watercolour and oil paint. Ideas are developed from a variety of sources and pupils are encouraged touse personal experiences to inform their work. The art produced is imaginative and ambitious and the subjectmatter is both abstract and figurative. Printmaking, collage, silk painting and three-dimensional work are allembraced with enthusiasm.

Gallery visits and workshops enable pupils to appreciate work from first-hand experience and pupils areencouraged to collect information about art movements and exhibitions.

The Sixth Form benefit from life drawing classes and cross curricular workshops with the Photography and ArtHistory students. Our pupils have been accepted onto Foundation courses at many different Art Collegesincluding Camberwell, Kingston, Oxford Brookes and Farnham.

They have also gained places onto direct entry Art degree courses at Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Newcastle andthe Ruskin School in Oxford.

Staff Team

Mrs Sally ScottHead of

Department

Sally obtained a BA in Fashion andTextiles and a PGCE,both at University

of Central England in Birmingham. She wasappointed in 1985 and promoted to becomeHead of Department in 1988. She has led theDepartment through two inspections withenergy and enthusiasm and was promoted tobecome Head of Faculty in 2004. She hasdeveloped the Fine Art GCSE, AS and A Levelcourses to produce outstanding results. Herparticular interest is in mixed media work andshe has introduced silk painting and collagethroughout the school. She now teaches mainlyexamination classes and is responsible for theContextual Studies element of the A2 course.

Mrs KirstenMortimerArt Teacher

Kirsten has a BA in Fine Art Painting(Brighton), an MA in Fine Art Print

Making (Camberwell) and a PGCE (Plymouth).Kirsten worked in the Theatre Royal inPlymouth for two years as a scenic painter and prop maker, she taught for three years inCornwall and is still a practising artist. She hasexhibited at various shows in London and theSouth West. She was appointed in 2002, Shehas an extensive knowledge and interest inprint-making and has improved the standardof print making within the department toenable it to become an integral part of the art curriculum throughout the School.

There are three other members of theDepartment teaching Pottery, History and Artand Photography. There is also a part timetechnician.

Scholarships and AwardsArt Scholarships and Exhibitions are valid in the first instance up to the end of GCSEs providing the award holdermaintains a suitable standard of endeavour and conduct and fulfils the duties required of an Art Award Holder.Awards are reassessed at this stage to allow other talented artists to be given awards for entry to the Sixth Formand to ensure Art still plays a central part in the life of an award holder.

Duties of an Art Award Holder

She may be required to:

• contribute to the School Magazine

• take part in School and other artistic competitions

• undertake occasional Art and Design briefs at the discretion of the Head of Art

• exhibit work in the School and outside if the opportunity arises and it is appropriate

In addition, Art Award Holders would be required to take Art at GCSE level and to make a significant contributionto the Art department in the Sixth Form in order to retain their Award.

Eligibility and Procedures

Awards will be made on the results of a girl’s portfolio and a practical test held at Downe House in June each year.

Junior candidates must be under 14 on the following 1st of September of the year of entry.

All candidates for Art Awards should present a portfolio of ten pieces of work, which should include a sketchbookand one or more three-dimensional pieces.

On the visit to the School in June, the candidates will be required to discuss their portfolio and sit an observationaldrawing test lasting one hour and twenty minutes.

Headteachers are asked to write reports on their candidate’s academic ability and progress as well as their artisticability and potential and personal qualities, which will be given careful consideration.

There is no examination fee, but girls who are not already entered for the school will be required to registerbefore sitting for an Award and it is likely they will already be holding a conditional or unconditional place.

Decisions about Scholarships

The final decision about all matters relating to Scholarships lies with the Headmistress.

Art Scholar – Hester WoltonThe most exciting aspect of art at Downe for me is the range of media accessiblefor our work. During my time here, I’ve had the opportunity to explore acrylics,lino-cut printing, inks and pottery. I’ve been taught to appreciate form and lightin my work and I now have a greater understanding of proportion, I have alsogained the confidence to be more expressive when tackling new techniques.

The Art Department is brilliant; we are taught wellthen given the freedom to develop our pieces in ourown individual styles. There are huge rooms filledwith light and other students’ work and the studiosare always open and being used.

Regarding my future, I hope to continue with Art,possible going on to study it after Downe. Whateverthe case, I feel I will have been prepared extremelywell.

To me, holding an Art Scholarship is not only aprivilege but offers opportunities such as lectures,gallery visits and the annual trip to St. Ives. I havebeen fortunate enough to hear Robin Childs speak,visit Roche Court and now I look forward to ourScholars’ trip to Cornwall.

Drama DepartmentDrama is important in the lives of the girls at Downe House. There is enormous enthusiasm for this subject andexcellent standards are achieved at all levels. Facilities are continually expanding, to enable the girls to gain anincreasingly rich variety of experience and the opportunities to develop not only their own skills in performance,creativity and craftsmanship, but also their critical and appreciative faculties as members of an audience.

We are fortunate to be housed in the School’s impressive Performing Arts Centre. The girls have the opportunityto work in a professionally equipped modern theatre and two purpose-built drama studios – rehearsing, performingin and/or directing the frequent productions, performances, festivals and assessments. They are also able tolearn, hands-on, the technical aspects of theatre such as sound and lighting, stage management, costume andstage design.

Drama forms part of the curriculum for the Lower School, and is a very popular subject at GCSE, AS and A2 level.In addition girls may take private Speech and Drama lessons and are prepared for Trinity Guildhall and RADAexaminations. We have students gaining places in the National Youth Theatre as well as progressing to studythe subject at degree level, either at university or drama school.

We are proud of the strong history of old girls forging successful careers in the Performing Arts industries;whether they be on stage, in front of a camera, producing, writing, directing or in the many production rolesbehind the scenes.

Speech and Drama

Speech and Drama is a very popular ‘extra’ subject, with around 150 girls each year choosing to take lessons.Of these, the majority opt to take an examination at some stage during the year. Examinations are alwaysoptional; however we find that most girls enjoy sitting an examination as it gives them a sense of achievementin the work they have undertaken over the year. We follow the Trinity Guildhall syllabus, and offer the RADAShakespeare Certificate to girls in the Sixth Form. Lessons in Speech and Drama build confidence, developcreativity and expression, encourage co-operation and teamwork skills, and extend oral and dramaticcommunication. It is also a subject which the girls enjoy for its supportive and non-competitive atmosphere.

Staff Team

Sarah HannibalHead of Drama

Sarah completed a

BA (Hons) Degree in

Performing Arts with

Communication,

Media and Culture in

at Oxford Brookes University in 2005. She

then undertook her Postgraduate Studies at

the University of Reading where she achieved

a Distinction for her work in Drama and

Contextual Studies. Sarah is currently studying

for her MA in Education which she will be

completing in 2014. During her teaching

career Sarah has worked at schools in Dorset

and West Berkshire where she has taken

on roles including director, choreographer,

examiner and performer. Sarah has won a

variety of awards across the South of England

for her performance work in Education. She is

particularly thrilled about the opportunities for

large scale productions and exposing students

to the wider arts community. Sarah is a keen

performer in all aspects of the Performing Arts

and is particularly interested in Contemporary

Theatre, Physical Theatre and Musical Theatre.

Mrs RebeccaWatsonHead of Speech and Drama

Rebecca trained at The

Arts Educational School,

Tring Park and Guildford

School of Acting, where she gained a BA (Hons)

in Acting. Since graduating in 2004, Rebecca

has taught and directed a wide range of age

groups and abilities, specialising in the social,

emotional and cognitive benefits of the

dramatic arts. Rebecca joined Downe House in

2008. She has enjoyed directing several large

scale productions over the last three years and

is particularly interested in musical theatre and

period dramas.

Scholarships and AwardsDrama scholarships and exhibition awards are valid for three years, providing the student maintains a suitablestandard of endeavour and conduct and fulfils the duties of a Drama Award Holder.

Duties of a Drama Award/Scholarship Holder

• Be a model Drama student in lessons, during theatre trips and when participating in Drama related events,such as workshops and study days.

• Be involved in extra-curricular Drama productions and events, as appropriate.

• Be prepared to perform, make presentations and/or speeches at the discretion of the Head of Drama.

• Exhibit a genuine interest in drama and theatre outside of Downe House by attending the theatre, and/orparticipating in drama courses and/or workshops, and/or auditioning for the National Youth Theatre orother appropriate extension programmes.

In addition, Drama Award/Scholarship holders would be required to take Drama and Theatre Studies at GCSElevel, and in order to retain their Award in the Sixth Form, study Drama and Theatre Studies at AS/A2 level aswell as make a significant contribution to the extra-curricular Drama programme in the Sixth Form.

Eligibility and Procedures

Awards will be made on results of an exam and practical test.

Internal and external scholarships for Drama are available at 13+ and 16+. The scholarship paper currentlyinvolves sitting a one hour written paper and a one hour practical examination. Questions will be based onreviewing and analysing live theatre and performance work. For the practical element, candidates will be giventwo contrasting monologues/sections of text together. The performance will be following by a brief viva vocewhere the candidate will be asked questions relating to their interpretation and delivery.

Geraldine James Drama Awards

An exciting new performance based scholarship for girls entering the Sixth Form was introduced in 2008. To benominated for the award, girls must have a proven commitment to performance and have achieved excellencein curricular and extra curricular Drama. Candidates will be interviewed. Successful candidates will then beencouraged to develop their talent further and meet with Ms James as part of an extensive performance basedenrichment programme.

Decisions about Scholarships

The final decision about all matters relating to Scholarships lies with the Headmistress.

Drama Scholar – Hermione CorfieldDrama, for me, has become increasingly important since I started in LIV at DowneHouse. Over the years I have been able to develop my confidence and improvemy skills, not only in acting but other aspects of production, such as directing.Opportunities to be part of a show, whether off or on stage, are never far away.

My first year production was The Importance of Being Ernest, an incredibly funand lively performance which really drove me to become very involved with the Drama Department,and offered many varied forms of performance to take part in such as Lord of the Flies, I Capture theCastle and, most recently, Kiss Me Kate. Having done Speech and Drama since LIV, I took up MusicalTheatre in LV, both of which I have continued throughout my time at Downe, up to Grade 8. The highstandard of drama at Downe also encouraged me to move beyond the school curriculum, auditioningand taking part in National Youth Theatre, as well other projects and courses.

I was delighted to accept The GeraldineJames Award in the Sixth Form. Thisscholarship has not only increased myinvolvement with the drama at Downe,but has also given me a number ofamazing opportunities, such as visitingRADA for an afternoon to take part ina workshop and watch a third yearfinal performance; this was mostcertainly a highlight for me. Anotherhighlight was helping to direct theannual House Drama competition atthe beginning of the Lower Sixth –whilst certainly challenging, it was ahighly rewarding experience and I hadgreat fun working with both my ownyear group and the younger girls. Italso gave me the opportunity to viewa production from an alternative angle,experiencing the management as wellas performance side of a play.

I have found A Level Drama veryenjoyable and, through it, I haveimproved my skills in both practical andtheoretical work. To top everything offI have had the honour of being Headof Drama in my final year which hasenabled me to work closely with theoutstanding Drama staff. The DramaSeniors and I have organised and runworkshops for the younger Dramascholars in the evenings, as well assupport the younger years in events,such as House Drama.

Music DepartmentMusic has a strong profile at Downe House. The Department has five full-time members of staff, around 25Visiting Music Teachers, and a P.A. to the Director of Music. The Department is carefully structured to incorporatean Assistant Director of Music and three Heads of Section (Keyboard, Lower School Music and Music Technologyand Jazz), each of whom have discrete areas of responsibility and who assist the Director of Music.

The Department has the use of two teaching rooms, each of which is fully fitted with audio-visual equipmentand Sibelius-enabled computer work stations. The Music Technology room has recently been refurbished andruns the latest version of ProTools, whilst the Music School consists of around 15 rooms which are used forindividual lessons and practice.

Curriculum Music is taught throughout the first three years of the School and focuses on a range of historicaltopics in order to introduce key elements of musical style and vocabulary. There is a healthy number opting forGCSE Music with a good record of passes at A and A*. Girls are able to take either Music (Pre-U) or MusicTechnology (A Level) in the Sixth Form and the results are of a reliably high standard. Some girls go on to studyMusic at university, and many more continue with the vocal or instrumental activities through Higher Education.

There are three orchestras, a Big Band and three choirs, all of which rehearse weekly. In addition, there areseveral chamber groups and smaller ensembles, including a Flute Choir and a Wind Band. There is a regularLunchtime Recital series held in the Chapel, as well as a number of other musical events throughout the year,including the Michaelmas Term School Concert, House Music and the annual Music Competitions. Music playsa leading part in flagship school events, notably the Music Weekend festival and, more recently, Founder’sWeekend. In addition to leading the music for weekday and Sunday Chapel Services, the choral ensemblesregularly undertake overseas tours: Choral have recently returned from Venice, where performances included a sung mass in St Mark’s Basilica.

Staff Team

Charlotte ExonDirector of Music

Charlotte Exon completed her

BMus and PhD in music at

the University of Birmingham

and her PGCE at the University

of Southampton. Charlotte has

had extensive conducting experience with numerous

ensembles taking on a number of conducting positions and

engagements both nationally and internationally. Indeed it

was under her baton that the second UK performance of

Shostakovich’s operetta Cheryomushki was performed with

which she won national acclaim. As a conductor, she was

also a finalist for the Young Vilar Young Artists Scheme

at the Royal Opera House. Prior to taking up her role at

Downe House, she was Director of Music at Westonbirt

School. Charlotte is passionate about young people

achieving musical excellence and has recently been

nationally recognised for her work in education as the

runner up for the School Music Award at the British

Education Business Awards 2011.

Malcolm GunninghamHead of Jazz and

Music Technology

Malcolm Gunningham studied Bass

Trombone under Gerald McElhone

at the Royal College of Music in

London where, in addition to his

instrumental studies, he pursued courses in composition

and arrangement with Adrian Cruft and developed a

particular interest in Music Theatre. Before entering the

teaching profession full time, he was a freelance musician

in London and co-wrote a musical: this was sponsored and

recorded by Capital Radio and received its first performance

in the renowned Britten Theatre at the Royal College of

Music. His first full-time teaching appointment was as

Head of Brass at Radley College, where he introduced

the then new Music Technology course. After several

years as Director of Music at Elstree Preparatory School,

Malcolm joined Downe House as Head of Jazz and Music

Technology. Here he has recently taken on the role of

Mentor to the Music Award Holders.

Scholarships and AwardsMusic Scholars and Exhibitioners at Downe House are expected to maintain a suitable standard of endeavourand conduct and fulfil the duties required of a Music Award Holder in promoting and developing musical activityand involvement across the School.

Duties of a Music Award Holder

She may be required to:

• participate in school concerts, recitals and competitions, including at least one of the Music Award Holders’Recitals each academic year.

• be a member of school orchestras, choirs and other ensembles as appropriate.

• undertake regular practice and maintain high standards of individual playing.

• attend musical events within the School, including Music Award Holder Recitals, Lunchtime Concerts andMusic Matters events.

• actively promote music within the School through an exemplary attitude and example.

Each Award Holder is allocated a mentor who, alongside their vocal and instrumental teachers, helps to monitortheir individual progress and support their involvement in a broad musical programme. Award Holder appraisalstake place annually in Lent Term and offer an opportunity to evaluate progress and establish future targets.

Eligibility and Procedures

Awards will be made on the results of auditions and aural tests held at Downe House in February each year.

1. Junior candidates must be under 14 on the following 1st of September of the year of entry. Award winnersare required to reach a satisfactory standard in the Common Entrance examinations for their age groupbefore taking up their Award.

2. Senior candidates (i.e. those entering the Sixth Form) must achieve Grade B or above in seven GCSE subjectsbefore taking up their Award and at least an A*or A grade in the subjects they wish to pursue in the Sixth Form.

3. 11+ Awards are valid for five years (with a review after two years) and Awards at 13+ are valid for threeyears, providing Award Holders maintain a suitable standard for endeavour and achievement and fulfils theduties required.

Headteachers are asked to write reports on their candidate’s academic ability and progress as well as theirmusical ability and potential, and personal qualities, which will be given careful consideration.

There is no examination fee. Girls who are not already entered for the School will be required to register beforesitting for an Award.

Music Scholar – Jessica RobinsonI would encourage anyone who is interested in music, in whatever form, to tryfor a Music Award at Downe House. I have made rapid progress on both thepiano and clarinet in the last two years, and I am currently at Grade 6 level onboth. Since joining Downe House, I have taken up singing through MusicalTheatre lessons with Miss Grandi and I recently passed my Grade 5 withDistinction. I also play the tenor saxophone and enjoy playing in the Big Band.

Being involved with Music at Downe House gives you lots of opportunities to perform with variouschoirs, orchestras and chamber groups, such Repertory Choir, Choral and the Big Band. My particularlove is contemporary music, particularly Adele, and I have been given lots of opportunities to play and sing this type of music: I have performed at Search for a Star, Founder’s Weekend and the annualMusic Competitions and, on some of these occasions, there were over 300 people listening. Whateveryour musical taste, Downe will try and help you achieve in that area. My targets for next year are todo some more recording for voice and piano in the newly refurbished Music Technology studio and to make progress with grades on both the clarinet and piano, before sitting my GCSEs next summer.

There are lots of events you can get involved with at Downe House. These take place throughout theyear, including the Jazz Supper, where everybody dresses up for Christmas Dinner and the Big Bandplays throughout the sittings. I have also taken part in the Music Matters programme which includesconcerts by professional pianists, as well as the opportunity to attend events at London venues such as the Royal Albert Hall and Royal Opera House. I especially enjoyed the recent Founder’s Weekend,which was a weekend full of drama and dance showcases, sport and music. It included the MusicAward Holders’ Concert, which was a fantastic opportunity to do a solo performance, as well as otherconcerts such as the Piano Prom, Chamber Music Concert, Composers and Song Workshops and theSchool Concert, where all the orchestras and choirs performed.

Overall, I find the music at Downe House to be inspiring and exciting and I thoroughly enjoy everyaspect of it, principally because there are so many wonderful opportunities available and they areopen to anyone of any level.

Sport DepartmentPhysical Education at Downe House offers every pupil a variety of sports to attempt and to achieve in. We aimto provide a foundation for lifelong participation and enjoyment alongside competitive opportunities for all. On Saturdays we expect over 350 girls take part in inter school competitions; this is complemented by a busyfixture list on Wednesday afternoons. Our girls achieve outstanding results and the School has a Nationalreputation for Lacrosse, Athletics and Squash. Many girls achieve County, Territorial and International Honoursin a variety of sports.

The major sports at Downe House are Lacrosse, Hockey, Netball, Swimming, Squash, Cross Country, Athletics,Gymnastics, Tennis and Dance. As each girl progresses through the School they are able to specialise in theirchosen sports and work with dedicated sports coaches to develop their potential. Every team at Downe House istaught by a specialist sports coach and we maintain small group sizes. Downe House has a strong House systemand girls are also able to compete for their House in Inter-House Sports Competitions throughout the year.

Our Physical Education programme is designed to introduce the girls to all the major sports at Downe House andto provide an introduction to a range of activities. Girls in Lower V (Year 10) and above also have the option toparticipate in Golf, Rugby, Football, Badminton, Basketball, Volleyball, Cricket and Life Saving.

Academic Physical Education can be studied at Sixth Form level with the girls following the A Level PhysicalEducation course. Girls study theoretical aspects of Sport which include; Anatomy and Physiology, SportPsychology, Historical and Contemporary issues in Sport. Girls who have studied this have gone on to Universityto follow a wide variety of courses which include Medicine, Engineering, Law and Psychology.

We are very proud of the extremely high standards achieved by the girls. Downe House has a strong sport forall ethos; we aim to enthuse and ignite a passion for sport in all our pupils.

Staff Team

Mrs Lydia RayneDirector of Sport

Lydia has been Director of Sport at DowneHouse since 1997, she is responsible for the overall leadership of the department. Her aspiration is to ensure that every girl isgiven the opportunity to reach their potential.

She has seen sport thrive across a range of disciplines.

Lydia has ensured that Downe House has a National reputation for excellence in Lacrosse, having won the National SchoolsChampionships four times and guided many girls to achieveCounty and National honours. Lydia is keen to encourage the girls to explore a range of sports and the PE curriculum reflectsthis with a wide range of opportunities. This has encouraged girlsto achieve national honours in such varied disciplines as Sailing,Eventing, Skiing and Rowing.

Lydia is an ex-international player representing Scotland in Lacrosseas well as being a Regional and County Lacrosse coach (senior and junior). Lydia also represented the Scottish Midlands in JuniorHockey and competed in the Scottish Schools Cross Country andAthletics competitions. Lydia completed a Bachelor of Education(Hons) in Physical Education and Environmental Studies at ChelseaCollege (now part of Brighton University) in 1988.

Mrs Lizzie HathawayHead of Physical Education

Lizzie joined Downe House in 2004 and isresponsible for co-ordinating the curriculumthat all the pupils follow as well as theacademic Physical Education course. Girls inthe Sixth Form can select to study A Level

Physical Education as part of their curriculum, as a major subject,as well as focus on the implications of Sports Technology in theirGlobal Perspectives. The department has achieved someoutstanding academic results under her guidance.

Lizzie specialises in coaching Hockey, and she has led the schoolteams to achieve excellent results with several girls achieving countyhonours at junior level. She also coaches the School Gymnasticteams; the girls are regularly placed in the top ten nationally atthe GISGA competition.

Lizzie has played Hockey at Senior Regional and County level. She gained a Bachelor of Education degree in Physical Educationat Brighton University in 2004.

Scholarships and AwardsSports Scholarships are awarded at 11+ to external candidates and at 13+ to internal and external candidates.11+ Awards are valid for five years (with a review after two years) and Awards at 13+ are valid for three years,providing Award Holders maintain a suitable standard for endeavour and achievement and fulfils the dutiesrequired.

Duties of a Sports Award Holder

A Sports Scholar is required to:

• represent the School in matches

• maintain a high level of performance and attitude in at all times

• lead by example and promote sport throughout the school

• undertake regular meetings with the school games captains

• be prepared to participate in a range of sports when required

Eligibility and Procedures

Internal candidates for the scholarship will be through invitation from the PE Department and the Headmistress.External candidates will be asked to provide a reference from their PE Department or Headteacher. It is expectedthat potential candidates will be at the top level of their year group in a minimum of two major sports. Candidateswill be invited to undertake a programme that will test general principles of fitness and skill acquisition. Allcandidates will also be assessed in swimming and gymnastics. A talented sportswoman in the Sixth Form maybe awarded the Beckwith Scholarship for aptitude, commitment and sporting excellence, for which the Directorof Sport nominates suitable candidates to the Headmistress.

The final decision about all matters relating to Scholarships lies with the Headmistress.

Sport Scholar – Lucy LukicSport has played a vital role throughout my time at Downe House and I havebeen lucky enough to represent the School in a variety of different sportsincluding Lacrosse, Swimming, Athletics and Skiing. During the Upper IV (Year 9)seven girls, including myself, were selected to try for a Sports Scholarship. Theassessment day was both nerve-wracking and exciting. We all took part in fitnessand agility tests, as well as sports which were less familiar to us, such as Basketball.The day ended with two interviews, the first was with the Director of Sport and an external assessorand the second with the Headmistress.

I was extremely honoured to be awarded a Scholarship; it gave me a real confidence boost andinspired me to strive for improvements in my own sports as well as encouraging my friends to takepart in other sports too. While I still take part in many sports and teams, my main focus has becomeLacrosse. The improvements I have made since the first time I picked up a lacrosse stick in the Removeare dramatic and are very much down to the enthusiastic and encouraging Sports Department here atDowne House. I have been lucky enough to be selected for Centex (Centre of Excellence for Lacrosse)which is a national development squad for U19 players. I have represented Centex in the HomeInternationals tournament against Scotland and Wales which was a fantastic experience, and lookforward to travelling to Germany with the team this summer. I have also been fortunate enough to beselected for Berkshire at both U15 and U19 level, and I have captained the West of England U19 team.

Headmistress’s Awards

Eligibility and Procedures

There is also the possibility of a Headmistress’s Award to reward an outstanding all-round performer atCommon Entrance.

• Candidates would need a strong overall performance at Common Entrance.

• Candidates should provide a ‘portfolio’ including:

– a submission detailing the contribution she has made to the life of her current school and how shewould make contributions to the life of Downe House;

– a CV of her life and interests thus far;

– copies of certificates, awards, etc;

– the portfolio is usually sent in to Downe straight after the Easter holidays and we would give a decisiononce the Common Entrance results are known.

• There should also be supporting reference from the candidate’s current Headteacher.

All Round Scholar – Henrietta MontgomerieBeing an All Round Scholar means a tremendous amount to me, especially atsuch a prestigious school as Downe House. I was thrilled to be awarded thishonour and feel a sense of pride and achievement. It gives me belief in myselfand it has produced a lot of tremendous opportunities.

I appreciate the possibilities it has led to at Downe House. I have enjoyedmagnificent experiences, such as my part in the U4 play. The play was extremely fun and it was greatto share this with my friends. The sport throughout the year has been amazing. I have loved playinghockey and representing the Downe House team. I have been inspired in many different areas ofDowne House, including the teaching. I find English especially inspirational and it has been great funtrying new subjects, such as Textiles. I now feel more confident in subjects which I didn’t understand. I also feel fortunate that I am joining some other scholars and having the opportunity to go to TheHouse of Commons to meet some MPs to discuss education in Afghanistan. I am not complacent asthere are still many things that I want to achieve at Downe House – such as doing well in my GCSEsand achieving to the best of my capability.

Cold Ash, thatcham, Berkshire rG18 9JJ

tel: 01635 200286 Fax: 01635 202026

correspondence@downehouse.net

www.downehouse.net