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Yesterday, our boarding pupils swapped shorts and T-shirts for racing suits and crash helmets as they headed to Herefordshire Raceway for an afternoon of high-speed fun! After a full safety briefing, they took to the 600-metre outdoor track, putting their driving skills – and competitive spirit – to the test. They enjoyed a brilliant afternoon of fast corners, close races, and plenty of laughter, still grinning from ear to ear once the helmets came off! What a way to spend a Sunday! 🏁 #TheDownsMalvern #SundayAdventures #GoKarting #boardingschool #herefordshireraceway

There are so many reasons why children in Years 7 & 8 thrive in a Prep School environment. From playing the lead in a senior production 🎭 to providing a positive role model for younger children and mentoring them on their journey; there are many leadership opportunities available for ‘big fish in a small pond’. For others, it has the potential to solidify their academic performance and build confidence in an environment tailor-made to support these goals.📖 We have a small number of Year 7 and 8 places available for September 2025 entry. For more information or to apply, please contact registrar@thedownsmalvern.org.uk The Downs Malvern, winner of Small Independent School of the Year 2024 #thedownsmalvern #independentschool #malvern #colwall #herefordshire #worcestershire

Our Year 1 and 2 pupils had a deliciously educational day with Chef Max and Holroyd Howe recently, diving headfirst into the colourful world of healthy eating! From sipping pineapple, spinach, mango & banana smoothies to trying wild garlic soup, their tastebuds went on a mini adventure. 🌿🍍 They even built their own ‘vegetable gardens’, exploring a rainbow of fresh produce including baby candy beetroot, gold beetroot, tender stem broccoli, and cherry tomatoes in all shades of red and yellow. 🍅✨ It was a joy to see them going back for more—proof that healthy food really can be exciting! A huge thank you to Chef Max and the brilliant Holroyd Howe team for inspiring our young pupils to love their greens (and reds, and yellows...). 💚 #thedownsmalvern #independentschool #HealthyEating #FoodEducation #HandsOnLearning #LittleFoodies @holroydhowe

The wet start to the day didn’t dampen our spirits and the sun even made an appearance by the afternoon. It’s great to be back with our friends for the Summer Term!☀️ With plenty to look forward to this term including the Summer Celebration, Sports Day and Camp Outs to name a few, we can’t wait to get started!🏏🏕️ #thedownsmalvern #dayandboarding #summerterm #colwall #minimalvern #smallindependentschooloftheyear

As a school, we engage in an ongoing cycle of review and development, seeking, where appropriate, to incorporate the most current evidence-led research to ensure that the teaching and learning at The Downs are informed by the most impactful pedagogical techniques. As part of our staff INSET this term, the teaching staff have been developing their use of Structural Learning - exploring how to embed critical thinking, metacognition, and cognitive science into classroom practice. Through this professional learning, we are equipping ourselves to develop independent learners of our pupils, who have a suite of skills at their disposal. 🧠 It promises to be a busy and exciting Summer Term with much to look forward to, both on the academic and co-curricular fronts. This INSET has set us up superbly to welcome the children back and get them firing on all cylinders in our lessons!💪 #thedownsmalvern #staffinset #StructuralLearning #CriticalThinking #Metacognition #ThinkingClassrooms

We had an absolutely brilliant time recently at Malvern College, where our Year 1 and 2 pupils took part in an exciting fitness session led by some amazing Sixth Form students. They had organised fantastic exercise circuits, complete with a range of fun equipment. 🏃‍♂️🎯 It was wonderful to see how our younger pupils listened intently and joined in with so much enthusiasm! A massive thank you to Malvern College and the BTEC students for creating such a lively and engaging experience. 🙌 We can’t wait for more fitness fun in the future! 💪😊 #FitnessFun #ActiveLearning #PrepSchoolLife #TheDownsMalvern #MalvernCollege #colwall #herefordshire #malvern #worcestershire

Our pupils took part in an exciting squash match against Malvern College recently, displaying impressive skill and enthusiasm throughout. The match featured some fantastic rallies, with players from both teams demonstrating great determination and sportsmanship. It was wonderful to see the pupils enjoying themselves and showing such a positive attitude.👏 A huge thank you to Mr Butterworth for organising the match and to the parents for their enthusiastic support. The players are already looking forward to the next fixture! #thedownsmalvern #independentschool #squash #malverncollege

🎹 Big congratulations to George, who recently won the Marion Baker Award with honours at the Worcester Arts Festival! 👏 Competing in a special class for 12 years and under, which was open to all instruments and voice at grade 6 standard and above, George impressed the judges with two contrasting piano pieces — a lively jazz number and Prelude in C-sharp minor by Heller. As the winner of his class, George was also invited to perform at the prestigious Festival Gala Concert alongside other standout young musicians. We’re incredibly proud of his talent, dedication, and poise. Well done, George! #thedownsmalvern #independentschool #youngmusician #worcesterartsfestival #awardwinner

Our Oaks class at Mini Malvern have been busy cooking up a storm recently — and what a delicious adventure it’s been! From cheese swirls and fruit salad to magic breadstick wands and even a gingerbread house, the children have been exploring a wide range of tasty treats.🥚 Along the way, they’ve learnt valuable skills like chopping and cutting with safety knives, measuring ingredients, understanding quantities, and practising good food hygiene (hands washed first, of course!). They’ve also had great fun trying new foods, flipping pancakes, using chopsticks for noodles, and even picking their own toppings at a pancake shop visit! 🥢🍓🥞 They’ve done it all together — learning, laughing, and growing as a team. #MiniMalvern #NurseryLife #LittleChefs #CookingFun #EarlyYearsLearning #thedownsmalvern

🎨 Easter Holiday Art Competition Get inspired, get creative, and have fun over the Easter break with a fantastic new art competition from Malvern College! Centred around the theme of Sustainability, pupils are encouraged to showcase their creativity and explore this important topic – whether focusing on environmental, economic, or social sustainability. 🌱 The competition will be judged by Old Malvernian Dr Benedict Carpenter van Barthold, a renowned artist, educator, and leader in the UK creative sector. 🏆 Prizes will be awarded to one winner in each of the following age categories: Years 3–5 and Years 6–8 An overall winner will also be selected to receive an exclusive virtual mentoring masterclass with Dr Benedict Carpenter van Barthold! RULES • Artwork must be original, handmade, and created without the use of AI or digital image generation. • Entries must be 2D and can include painting, drawing, printing, pastels, collage, mixed media, or original digital creations. • Photography is not permitted. HOW TO ENTER Write your name, year group, and medium on the back of your work. Hand it to Mr Mellor, who will photograph and upload it to the Virtual Art Academy site. 📅 Deadline: Monday 28th April #thedownsmalvern #malverncollege #artcompetition #sustainability #youngartists

🙌Congratulations to our ‘Oxford Sandy and Black’ rare breed pig, Pancake on her first litter of piglets! Born last Monday night, during our final week of term, Mr Nuttall was on hand to assist with Pancake’s first farrowing. The piglets are doing well and enjoying exploring their new surroundings! They are looking forward to meeting the pupils on their return after the Easter holidays!🐷 #thedownsmalvern #oxfordsandyandblack #osbpg #independentschool #colwall #malvern #herefordshire #worcestershire

🏃‍♂️ We’re incredibly proud of Rory, who recently travelled to Northampton to compete in the Year 7 National Cross Country Finals, representing Worcestershire. It was a tough race, with an uphill start and over 3.2 km of demanding terrain. Rory finished an impressive 91st out of 126 runners—placing him among the top 100 cross country runners in the country for his age group! Along the way, he also gained some invaluable race experience. 👏 Congratulations to Rory on a fantastic achievement! #thedownsmalvern #independentschools #crosscountry #nationalfinals #NationalFinals #worcestershire

Georgia Lees, Teacher and British and 2023 World Biathle Champion🥇 Can you tell us a bit about your journey into teaching sport? My school encouraged me to get involved in lots of different clubs, and I ended up joining local swimming and athletics groups. Through school, I was introduced to biathlon (now called Biathle), and I completely fell in love with it. It was something we actually did in school and, after qualifying at the West Midlands Biathlon Championships — which I won five years in a row — I went on to compete at the nationals, where I placed in the top three several times. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the encouragement of my teachers, so now I’m really passionate about playing that role for others.👟🧒 You’re the current British champion and 2023 world champion in biathle! What does it involve? It is a Run–Swim–Run event. At the World Championships, the format was a one-mile run, a 200-metre sea swim, and another one-mile run. It’s a sprint-style event, so the whole thing is over in about 10 to 20 minutes — but it’s incredibly intense!🏃‍♀️🏊‍♀️🏃‍♀️ How do you balance training and competing with your teaching role? I have to be very strict with my time! I usually run at 5.30am, and later, after work I’ll swim in either Worcester or Birmingham — some of those sessions finish around 9.30pm. At the weekends, I also play regional netball. My life right now is very simple: it’s work and sport!💤 What’s been the most memorable moment of your biathle career so far? The World Championships in Bali. It was the toughest race I’ve done, both physically and mentally. Competing in 35–40°C heat was something I wasn’t used to. I gave it absolutely everything — to the point where I nearly passed out from heat exhaustion! I couldn’t walk or talk for about 30 minutes afterwards. If you could try another sport what would it be? People often suggest triathlons, but I prefer shorter distances. My next goal is to transition to pentathlon, as it offers a route into the Olympics — and that’s definitely a dream I’d love to chase.🎯🇬🇧🔥 #thedownsmalvern #independentschool #biathle #brilliantstaff

Congratulations to Anna-Jean! Her amazing turtle sculpture, created from papier-mâché and wire, was awarded Overall Best in Show at the prestigious Malvern St James Junior Schools' Art Competition and Exhibition.🐢 Maita T’s painting of a steam train won the Year 8 category, while Scarlett A and Rebecca H were awarded Highly Commended in their respective age groups. Anna-Jean kindly left the Matilda technical rehearsal early last Saturday to represent the school and collect the awards. These pupils also had examples of their artwork selected and displayed at the event: Jessica R, Stanislav M, Ava N, Erin W, Morgan C, Ida B, and Esmé A. Very well done to them all!👏 #youngartists #artawards #thedownsmalvern #independentschool

We are delighted to announce that tickets are now on sale for The Downs Malvern 125 Year Celebration Ball, taking place on Saturday, 5th July!🎟️ The Ball Committee—made up of both current and former parents—has been working incredibly hard over the past few weeks to bring together a truly special evening that befits this remarkable milestone in the school’s history. We warmly invite as many of you as possible to join us for what promises to be a memorable night of celebration, connection, and fun. Tickets can be purchased individually, but we encourage you to spread the word to friends and family. Why not make it a reunion or that long-awaited get-together? Tables of 10 are available in limited numbers, so early booking is advised. Simply put—the more, the merrier! As an added incentive, a 10% early bird discount is available on all tickets purchased before 1st May.🕐 To purchase tickets or to discover more about the evening, please visit the link in our bio.🔗 We look forward to celebrating this incredible 125-year legacy with you! Warm regards, The Downs Malvern 125 Celebration Ball Committee #thedownsmalvern #celebration #anniversary #reunion #colwall #malvern #herefordshire #worcestershire #malverncollege

Last Thursday, our U13 rugby 7s squad took part in the biggest schoolboy rugby festival in the world at Rosslyn Park, and what a day it was.🏉 They produced some thrilling rugby, attacking with flair and defending with grit. With long breaks between matches, maintaining focus was no easy feat, but the team rose to the challenge brilliantly. For the first time since 2019, The Downs Malvern remained unbeaten throughout the day. Victories came against St Hugh’s School Oxford, Prestfelde School, St John’s School Northwood and The Hawthorns School. Only a last-play draw with Winchester House School stood between them and a perfect record. A huge thank you to the ever-supportive parents who cheered them on. Well played, boys. A superb achievement! 👏🙌 #thedownsmalvern #independentschool #rosslynpark7s #schoolrugby