| The Downs School | |
| Type | Comprehensive foundation school |
| Religious affiliation | Secular |
| Headteacher | Valerie Houldey |
| Specialism | Language College |
| Location | Manor Crescent Compton Newbury Berkshire RG20 6NU England |
| LEA | West Berkshire |
| Ofsted number | 110102 |
| Students | 944 |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Ages | 11 to 18 |
| Website | http://www.thedownsschool.org |
The Downs School is a comprehensive secondary school in rural Compton, Berkshire, England. It is a state school run by West Berkshire Education Authority.
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The Downs is a small school of about 1,000 pupils, but with the completion of the new VI form building, the number will rise. The school is located on Manor Crescent. The nearest major town is Newbury which is 8 miles away. Other neighbouring towns include Wantage, Didcot, Thatcham and Reading. Within a short walk of the school is the Compton village shop and the large Compton recreation ground. It is just over 2 miles from the East Ilsley junction of the A34.
The headmaster was Graham Taylor, but he retired after 22 years at the school. The new headteacher is Valerie Houldey.
The school is a specialist language college. This means that pupils have the chance to learn at least one foreign language, with the opportunity of learning others. The school has exchange visits to France, Germany and Spain. Sports tours are also annually organised. Teams have been to Spain, Holland and in 2007 went to Cyprus.
The school has a sixth form centre of about 150 students. It is located on the ground floor of the new Graham Taylor building (GT). Subjects range from all the sciences to politics, economics, law and media studies.