Whilst always being mindful of the importance of keeping school fees as low as possible, we use our surplus to invest sensibly in our facilities and site, thinking both of the needs of girls currently in the School, and those of the generations to come. We have spent £25m over the past 10 years doing this. However, income from fees will always support teaching first and foremost. 

The School is able to fund some of the projects ahead using a mix of surpluses, loan financing, online academies and sister schools overseas. However, the additional philanthropic support of parents, past parents and alumnae, will be vital in ensuring that Downe House remains able to provide an unsurpassed education of breadth and depth for years to come.

Philanthropic donations help the School to fulfil its mission in providing an outstanding and forward-thinking education. Philanthropic support allows the School to say yes to visionary projects that move us forward, beyond what the school budget will allow. Philanthropy transforms an excellent education into a truly extraordinary one. 

Today at Downe House we enjoy some extraordinary facilities, such as the Cloisters, the Chapel, the dining hall, and most recently the addition of the Lower Boarding School and the Murray Centre. The programme of development over many years has been made possible through the foresight and ambition of successive Heads and Governing Bodies and the tremendous commitment and generosity of generations of Downe House families, alumnae and friends of the School. We have been fortunate beneficiaries and we intend to carry on this tradition.