Impact of partnership work done in 2024 (ISC annual Census 2025)

• 18 state schools involved
• 201-500 state school pupils involved
• 80 staff hours given

Impact Statement

Excellent links reported upon previously with the parents and the local community have been strengthened further during the past academic year.

In an extremely supportive and positive way, parents and the Colwall Community are fully involved in activities in the School. Parents are very welcome to support their children at matches, attend assemblies, concerts and productions and help on School trips. They also volunteer to assist with Hobbies and extra-curricular activities.

Parents are also given the chance to share their expertise with the pupils by visiting to talk about their cultural background and many happily assist by running clubs both after school and on Saturday mornings in the hobbies sessions.

The ‘Friends of The Downs’ association has organised several excellent events at the School during the 2017/18 year, including a major Summer Celebration and Bonfire Night Celebration. Funds raised through these events have been used by the School to provide smaller “icing on the cake items” such as cameras and ipads as well as larger items such as an activity playground.. In December 2018, the amount raised by the Friends of The Downs stood in excess of £21,000.

Strong links exist between the School and other independent and maintained schools and over the year the School has continued to extend and foster its links with the local community. There remains a very strong a link with Colwall Primary School. For over a year, The Downs has supplied lunches for over 110 children at the Colwall Primary School in partnership with Palmer & Howell caterers. The Downs receives no financial benefit from this partnership. It is expected that this partnership will develop further.

Other links include many opportunities for local residents to participate in special events at the School, such as ‘Remembrance Service’ and Harvest Festival services and a variety of fundraising events, which, on the whole, supported a wide range of charities listed in the below:

During the year, the School raised funds for the following charities:

• Macmillan Cancer Research; the School participated in the “World’s Biggest Coffee Morning” and in addition raised funds at the Harvest Festival and Carol Service.
• St Michael’s Hospice
• What Makes You Different You Beautiful
• Hope and Homes
• T4U Shoe Box Appeal
• Matandani School and Hospital in Malawi.
• The Royal British Legion – Remembrance Sunday
• Children in Need
• Comic Relief
• Help for Heroes
• Acorns Children’s Hospice
• St Richard’s Hospice

All at The Downs Malvern continue to look for new opportunities to include the local community in its activities.

Throughout the year a number of groups, mainly local, accessed and took advantage of the School’s facilities at either a minimal or free of charge:

• The Downs Light Railway Trust
• The Malvern Hills Kidz Club
• Local cricket clubs, Bosbury, Mathon CC, Strollers, Chasers, Colwall and Ledbury Cricket Clubs using indoor and outdoor facilities
• Rugby Tykes training for children aged between 4 and 7 years in the Sports Hall
• Half Term sports camps
• Residential camp for a Tae Kwondo club.
• Colwall Ladies’ Badminton Club
• The Poultney Players’ Badminton Club
• Colwall Village Table Tennis Club
• Young National School Symphony Orchestra

A number of external groups use the School’s boarding facilities. These included the National Youth Symphony Orchestra, The British Taekwondo Association and Colwall Cricket Club Girls’ National U13 and U15 cricket festivals.

These events and more have enabled the School to foster links with the local community and all events are well supported by the parents.

The Headmaster and Governors of The Downs Malvern recognise that despite the best endeavours of their parents, independent school fees are now at levels that exclude many children from receiving the high quality care and academic and extra-curricular education that schools such as The Downs offers. Accordingly, the School aims to support children in each year group from Year 1 to Year 8 whose parents could not otherwise afford to send them to the School. This support is primarily through a means tested Bursary scheme and details of that scheme ar readily available on the school website.

The Headmaster considers that the School has complied with their duty in Section 17 of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to public benefit guidance published by the Charity Commission for England.

Alastair S Cook
Headmaster