United by a shared purpose, Pembroke Education provides a clear and confident framework designed to shape and enhance the future of children’s education through academic excellence.
Both schools are highly regarded in the Bristol area, renowned for their rich history and traditional values, yet distinct in their identities; Clifton High is a dynamic co-educational day-through-school for 3-18 year olds in the heart of Clifton Village, offering a nurturing, forward-thinking, and values‑led education, combining academic excellence and an environment for pupils to thrive. The Downs is set within 60 acres of stunning parkland. It offers families a choice at 13+, sending pupils to some of Britain’s most well-regarded independent senior schools, providing a traditional prep education that is rich in character development, independence and outdoor learning.
Clifton High School is thriving in today's educational climate. We are secure in our direction and confident in the future we are shaping, assuring parents of our clear vision and ambitious plans. The Pembroke Education group structure will not compromise on our individuality. In fact, this collaboration will truly embrace each school’s independence and development with a shared vision to strengthen learning opportunities for the growth and benefit of future generations. The approach is distinctive in its commitment to protecting the educational outcomes of all children, so they feel cared for in an environment where they belong and one that suits their individual expectations.
We look forward to sharing the Pembroke Education journey with you.
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FAQS
| Why are the two Schools creating Pembroke Education? |
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The creation of Pembroke Education will provide a strategic opportunity to strengthen each school individually as educational provisions and businesses by working together to enhance the school experience for all pupils while maintaining their distinctive characters. Both schools share a similar ethos, values, and high aspirations. Combining strengths, expertise, and resources positions the group to deliver an exceptional, future‑ready education, underpinned by sustainable, long‑term financial resilience. |
| What will the relationship between the Pembroke Education schools be? |
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Each school will retain its own identity, character and traditions while benefiting from collaboration where it adds value. Clifton High School and the Downs Preparatory School are the founding schools that will benefit from new opportunities that their close physical locations present. Initially, this will include joint activities, particularly in sport and outdoor education, with more shared initiatives developing over time. |
| Is this a takeover? |
| No. Legally, it is a charity merger, not a purchase or takeover. |
| Will the school names change? |
| No. Both schools will continue to be known as Clifton High School and The Downs Preparatory School. Berties Nursery, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Downs Preparatory School, will also retain its own name. The joint group name that they all proudly belong to will be Pembroke Education, reflecting the shared heritage of the founding schools linked to Pembroke Road, Bristol. Further context on the name can be found in the Our History section of the Pembroke Education website. |
| WHY THE DOWNS PREPARATORY SCHOOL? |
| The two schools are aligned in ethos, values, educational vision and a strong sense of community. The Downs is a highly regarded preparatory school that we can offer a formal arrangement to provide progression opportunities to. There are opportunities within their facilities that would benefit our provision, specifically in sport, outdoor education and co-curricular. The Downs also share our ambition to form a group where our unique characteristics and provisions are championed and strengthened further through collaboration and financial strength. |
| Will Senior Leadership change in Pembroke Education schools? |
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Current Heads will remain in roles at Clifton High School, the Downs Preparatory School and Berties Nursery. They are supported by their existing Senior Leadership Teams, maintaining each school’s independence. A single Council of Governors will be formed to serve each group school. The Chair of Governors will be Dr Peter Bodkin formerly the Chair of Clifton High; the Vice Chair of Governors will be Mr Jason Collard, formerly the Chair of the Downs. A new group executive team will be formed and led by Mr Will Phelan, Head of Clifton High School, as Head of Pembroke Education and Mrs Debbie Isaachsen, Head of the Downs Preparatory School and Deputy of Pembroke Education. The full team can be found in the Our Team section of the Pembroke Education website. |
| what impact will pembroke education have on staffing structures? |
| There will be no immediate changes to staffing structures. A small group executive team will guide strategic development, while each school’s senior leadership continues daily operations. These roles can be found on the Pembroke Education website. |
| will there be redundancies? |
| No redundancies are planned as a result of the formation of this group. |
| How will the group benefit the children of its schools? |
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For Clifton High pupils:
For Downs Preparatory pupils:
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| will pupils need to travel between sites? |
| Some travel will take place for sport, outdoor education or access to specialist facilities. Transport will be provided during the school day as part of the school offer. |
| will the curriculum change? |
| Each school’s curriculum will remain in place. Both schools continually develop their provision, and future collaboration may create further opportunities, especially in outdoor education, sport and co-curricular. We are currently undertaking a curriculum review which predates any involvement in this project ahead of the 2028 deployment of Department for Education changes. |
| will any other aspects of the clifton high provision change? |
| Very few. Class sizes remain the same, our pastoral system, code of conduct, and timetables all remain the same and are unique to our School. Each school has its own Safeguarding Teams, DSL and processes. There may be some more joint opportunities in Sport, Outdoor Education and Co-Curricular, but they will fit in with our current offering and structures. Many of these will take place on the Charlton Estate, where the Downs Preparatory School is located. |
| will term dates or school days change? |
| No immediate changes are planned. Term dates may be aligned over time. |
| will school uniforms change? |
| No. Both schools are proud of their current uniforms and form an important part of their independent identities. |
| Are both schools financially robust? |
| Yes, both schools have created Pembroke Education from a position of financial strength and are thriving. We also recognise the wider financial pressures felt by families and independent schools today. By combining our strengths and working more efficiently, we can help keep each school's fees affordable while investing in excellent facilities, exceptional staff, and the high‑quality education that benefits every pupil. |
| will fees go up? |
| Not as a result of the merger. Fees will continue to be reviewed annually, with sensitivity to the financial pressures on families. |
| will the fees be aligned across schools? |
| No. Each school offers a different provision, so fees will continue to reflect their unique offerings. |
| what will happen to sibling discounts? |
| Existing discounts remain unchanged. We are looking at how we can explore a cross‑school sibling discount structure in future. |
| what about bursaries? |
| Existing bursaries will continue under current policies. Both schools remain committed to supporting access based on financial need, dependent on available funds. |
| will invoicing and payment details change? |
| For Autumn 2026, both schools will invoice as usual. Over time, systems may align to improve efficiency. |
| WILL THERE BE ANY CHANGES TO PROGRAMMES AND SYSTEMS FOR US TO NAVIGATE? |
| Not initially. If we identify efficiencies that would benefit one or both founding schools, new programmes or systems may be introduced. Any future updates will be implemented in the same considered, proactive way that previous improvements have been rolled out. |
| WILL DONATIONS AND GIFTS REMAIN SEPARATE FOR EACH SCHOOL? |
| Yes. Financial gifts from donors will be ringfenced for projects specific to the school to which they have assigned the gift to and in line with their wishes. Clifton High School’s 150th Anniversary Appeal, Funding the Future, remains a priority to continue to develop our School and community. |
| Will there be any impact on admissions? |
| Admissions processes and policies at each school remain unchanged. The only planned addition is a guaranteed pathway from The Downs into Clifton High School at Year 9 for those who want it and for whom it is appropriate. |
| Will SCHOOL NUMBERS OR CLASS SIZES INCREASE, PARTICULARLY IN YEAR 9? |
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In short, we are not expecting school numbers to increase significantly, including in Year 9. The offer of a Year 9 place for pupils from The Downs Preparatory School does not, in itself, lead to an automatic increase in numbers. For the next few years, there is no anticipated change that would result in a larger intake, and The Downs families will continue to consider and choose a range of senior schools, as they do now. Looking further ahead, any growth would be modest, carefully planned, and managed within Clifton High’s Published Admission Number (PAN). Class sizes are capped at twenty, and we would not exceed this. Even if a year group were to increase slightly over time, this would be managed through structure rather than by increasing the number of pupils in each class. |
| Will other schools join Pembroke Education? |
| Not immediately, though the group intends to welcome additional schools that share similar values in future. |
| When IS Pembroke Education launching? |
| The legal merger of Pembroke Education's founding schools is scheduled to take effect on 1st September 2026. However, the work of planning and developing the group and its collaborative opportunities has already begun. |
| WheRE CAN I DIRECT QUESTIONS? |
| Via the School Office, schooloffice@cliftonhigh.co.uk |
