Ashdown House - Home Page

News

COMING UP
Wednesday, 8th September
Term begins (5 pm)

Saturday, 2nd October
Open Day (please contact the office for details)

Wednesday, 6th October Talk by Stephen Venables (6.30 pm) Mountaineer & Explorer (tickets available from the office)

11th-16th October
Dominic and Maria Floyd's visit to Hong Kong & Shanghai (Tuesday, 12th October - Reception in the China Club)

20th-31st October - Half Term

Wednesday, 3rd November
Talk Peter Mansfield-Clark, Open House Charity for the Homeless (6.30 pm)

Wednesday, 10th November Talk by Mr C.L. Henson, 'Training of a Young Cherokee Indian' (6.30 pm)

Thursday, 11th November Airman’s Grave Walk

Wednesday, 17th November Talk by Steve Batchelor, Olympic Multi Medal Hockey Player

Friday 19th & Saturday 20th November
1s & 2s' Plays (Fri 6 pm - Sat am)

Sunday, 28th November
Advent Service (6.30 pm)

Sunday, 5th December
Concert (6.30 pm)

Wednesday, 15th December Carol Service, Coleman's Hatch (11 am) / Term Ends

Ashdown House is one of the leading preparatory schools in the country, catering for boys and girls between 7 and 13. Founded in 1843, it is also one of the oldest.

We are proud to be offering your child an exciting, challenging and stimulating education. Our scholarship record over the last 10 years speaks volumes for the quality of teaching and all children successfully pass into the leading public schools of their choice.. As part of The Cothill Educational Trust, we are excited at being able to offer the experience of visits to the Chateau de Sauveterre in France, and to The Old Malthouse in Dorset where the children will be able to undertake scientific research with the Natural History Museum.

We believe, however, that there should be much more than academic rigour in the classroom. Whether it is climbing trees, a game of chess, dancing, building dens, or digging a personal vegetable plot, opportunities abound: freedom and variety are so important in encouraging independent thought and responsibility in children.

A school that has a caring and nurturing ethos, both between staff and children, and importantly between the children themselves, is essential for the happiness and development of your child. At Ashdown we strive to maintain the right balance so that your child will thoroughly enjoy and benefit from his or her time here. Whilst we base our ethos on sound Christian morals, we welcome children from all denominations and none.

Blessed with magnificent and extensive grounds, we offer the main sports and compete successfully against our local prep schools and in National tournaments. Our Art, DT, Music and Drama Departments are equally successful with each year group putting on at least one play a year and nearly every child in the school learning at least one instrument. The opportunity for children to be creative is essential.

Although we are proud to continue to be primarily a boarding school, we welcome younger day children whom we expect to board by Year 6 – most choose to much earlier! With the majority of the UK based children coming from London and the south-east, we have about a third who live overseas (Hong Kong, Cayman Islands, Foreign Office and Forces families). We are fortunate to be within easy reach of both Gatwick and Heathrow airports.

The photos and information on this website will give you an idea of what we achieve at Ashdown. A visit to the School is strongly recommended and I am positive that, after experiencing the warmth and happiness of the children and staff, you will leave confident that Ashdown has that something extra about it.

Maria and I much look forward to meeting you.

Dominic Floyd
Headmaster

If you have any comments to make, or wish to be sent a prospectus, please fill in our on-line form. We will deal with your request as quickly as we can. Please visit the ISCis web site for more information on the school including our latest inspection report (2008).

We also love to hear from our Old Ashdownians (OAs), please take a moment to fill in our on-line form and keep us up to date with your news.

Ashdown House is now part of the Cothill Educational Trust (www.cothill-trust.net)

IAPS
2010