Brockhill Road, Colwall, Malvern, Worcestershire WR13 6EY
10 reasons to choose The Downs Malvern
Top line
The Downs Malvern has a Schoolsmith Score® of 88. It is one of the best independent prep schools in and around Malvern and one of the 4 best primary schools for 5 miles.
School fundamentals
The Downs Malvern is an independent prep day and boarding school for boys and girls (60%/40%) between the ages of 6 months and 13 years. Boarding from Year 3 for the 20% of pupils who board. 90% are full boarders and 10% are weekly or flexi boarders. It is a Church of England school, open to all faiths and none. The school has a non-selective admissions policy. It is the junior division of Malvern College, an all-through school to age 18, and is a member of the Malvern College group. The Downs Malvern fees range from £3,555 (Rec) to £8,545 per term (2025/26). Full boarding fees range from £8,575 to £11,305 per term. Fees include VAT and lunches.
Average class size
The Downs Malvern usually has one class per year to Year 2, two from Year 3, three from Year 7, and an average class size of 13 pupils.
Leavers' destinations
At the end of Year 8, 70% of The Downs Malvern pupils move up to Malvern College. Other leavers move on to any one of 30 independents, particularly to Shrewsbury School, Marlborough College, and Cheltenham College.
The Downs Malvern curriculum
School curriculum is based on the National Curriculum and the ISEB Common Entrance curriculum with some additions and variations. It also includes PSHCE, French, Spanish, German, Latin. ‘Hobbies’ takes the place of academic lessons on Saturday mornings. Each pupil may participate in over 10 different extra-curricular academic activities or hobby clubs.
More on the curriculum
There are regular educational trips for all year groups, visiting speakers, Forest School in pre-prep and residential trips from Year 2.
Specialist teaching
Specialist teachers for music, languages and sport throughout, for art, DT and maths from Year 2, for science from Year 3 and for most subjects from Year 5.
Sport at The Downs Malvern
5 Games sessions per week. School offers over 15 different sports through the year, through both the curriculum and extra-curriculum. Representative teams in major sports from Year 3. In recent years the school has enjoyed national success in rugby 7s.
The Arts at The Downs Malvern
Art and music are taught as discrete curricular subjects to all pupils. Drama is part of the co-curriculum. All pupils learn an instrument in class and 80% take extra-curricular instrument lessons from Year 3. Three choirs, orchestra and several instrument ensembles. The school is one of the top 50 UK prep schools for the breadth of its creative and performing arts extra-curriculum.
Wraparound care
Wraparound care from 7.30am to 6.00pm.
Find another school near The Downs Malvern
The Elms School, Malvern (1.2 miles); Malvern St James Prep (3.5 miles); Bredon Junior School (15.1 miles).
Somers Park School (4.1 miles); Madresfield Church of England Primary School (5.2 miles); Hanley Swan St Gabriel’s with St Mary’s Church of England Primary School (5.7 miles).
Malvern College (2.6 miles); Malvern St James (3.5 miles); The King’s School, Worcester (11.4 miles); Bredon School (15.1 miles).
The Chase (3.6 miles); Hanley Castle High School (7.3 miles); Blessed Edward Oldcorne Catholic College (11.3 miles).