Congratulations to the Downe House Class of 2021! 

It is with an enormous amount of pride and admiration that we celebrate the achievements and contribution to our School community of our Upper Sixth girls. 

Although there has been a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the way in which their achievements and progress would be assessed, and in spite of the unparalleled disruption this outstanding group of girls has faced during their Sixth Form careers, they have shown remarkable resilience and commitment to their studies and indeed all aspects of School life. They deserve great credit for this. 

Their efforts have been justly rewarded with results that reflect the high levels of engagement and academic rigour with which they have approached their studies and each individual can be proud of their achievements. Most importantly, they can move on to the next stage of their educational journey with confidence.  

All our girls should be incredibly proud of their hard work and effort, and of the support of their teachers and their families. We offer particular congratulations to the 22 girls who leave Downe House having achieved 3 or more A* grades, which is an outstanding achievement. These girls will go on to read Biochemistry (Oxford), French and Italian (Oxford), Materials Science (Oxford), English Language and Literature (Oxford), Philosophy, Politics and Economics (UCL), Economics (LSE and Durham), Medicine (Imperial), Biomedical Science (UCL), Biological Sciences (Durham), Mathematics (UCL), Politics and International Relations (Bath), Design (Loughborough), Physics (Imperial), Geography (Leeds), History of Art (Edinburgh), Law (Bristol and Warwick), Anthropology (Durham) and History of Art (The Courtauld Institute of Art). 

Along with those girls heading to some of the top universities in the UK, others are set to study at prestigious overseas universities including Yale, UCLA, Boston, Toronto, Glion and HKU. All have a bright future ahead of them. 

Mrs Emma McKendrick, Headmistress of Downe House, said “I could not be more proud of this exceptional group of young women. In spite of the challenges they have faced, they have remained focused and positive and thoroughly deserve to have their consistent hard work rewarded with outstanding results. However, it is not just the results that they have achieved that are noteworthy, it is the way in which they have given so much to all aspects of School life, the care that they have shown for one another, the enthusiasm that they have shown and the contributions they have made on the stage, in the Music School, on the sports fields and so much more.  

I know that the Leavers of 2021 will continue to be committed and give their very best, wherever they go in the future. I know too that they will always go the extra mile, stand up for what is right and just, and combine aspiration with humility and compassion for those around them. That they will make a special contribution is not in doubt.”