Downside School

Downside School
Location
Map
, ,
BA3 4RJ

England
Coordinates51°15′18″N 2°29′42″W / 51.255°N 2.495°W / 51.255; -2.495
Information
Other nameDownside
TypeIndependent, day and boarding school
MottoLatin: Apud bonos iura pietatis
(Amongst good people, there are rules of piety [worth more than riches] Justinus, or Among the Good, Piety is the Law)
Religious affiliation(s)Roman Catholic
Established1614; 410 years ago (1614)
FoundersEnglish Benedictine Monks in exile
Local authoritySomerset Council
OversightRoman Catholic Diocese of Clifton
Department for Education URN123910 Tables
Head teacherAndrew Hobbs[1]
GenderMixed
Age range11–18
Enrolment353 (2024)[2]
Capacity420[2]
Houses
  •    Barlow
  •    Caverel
  •    Isabella
  •    Roberts
  •    Smythe
  • Powell
Colour(s)Maroon and gold   
Publication
  • Downside Diary
  • Tessera
  • The Raven
  • The Rook
  • The Old Gregorian
AlumniOld Gregorians
Websitewww.downside.co.uk
Listed Building – Grade II*
Designated1 June 1961
Reference no.1295086

Downside School (formally The College of St. Gregory the Great, Downside but simply referred to as Downside) is an 11–18 mixed, Roman Catholic, independent, day and boarding school in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Somerset, England. It was established in 1614 and is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Clifton.

Originally a school for English Catholic boys, it was established by English and Welsh monks living in exile at Douai, France.[3] The monastic community returned to England in 1795, with both the community and its school initially housed in the Shropshire home of Sir Edward Smythe, a former pupil. By 1814, the abbey and school had been re-established at their present site, in Somerset. Downside School became fully co-educational in all year groups in 2005.

  1. ^ "Head's Welcome". Downside School. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Wellacre Technology Academy". Get information about schools. GOV.UK. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  3. ^ "School History". Downside School. Retrieved 7 December 2010.