Highdown School

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title: "Highdown School" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["educational-institutions-established-in-1971", "grade-ii-listed-buildings-in-reading", "richard-norman-shaw-buildings", "secondary-schools-in-reading,-berkshire", "academies-in-reading,-berkshire"] topic_path: "society/education" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highdown_School" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox school"]

Field	Value
name	Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre
image	Highdown School logo.svg
image_size	160px
coordinates
motto	Aspire and Achieve
established	1971
type	Academy
head	Laura Mathews
chair_label	Chair Of Governors
chair	A Rajantie
specialist	Maths and Computing
address	Surley Row
city	Reading
county	Berkshire
country	England
postcode	RG4 8LR
local_authority	Reading Borough Council
urn	136307
ofsted	Good
enrolment	1550
gender	Mixed
lower_age	11
upper_age	18
colours	Black, red, and white
website	http://www.highdown.reading.sch.uk/
::

| name = Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre | image = Highdown School logo.svg | image_size = 160px | caption = | coordinates = | motto = Aspire and Achieve | established = 1971 | closed = | type = Academy | religious_affiliation = | president = | head_label = | head = Laura Mathews | r_head_label = | r_head = | chair_label = Chair Of Governors | chair = A Rajantie | founder = | specialist = Maths and Computing | address = Surley Row | city = Reading | county = Berkshire | country = England | postcode = RG4 8LR | local_authority = Reading Borough Council | urn = 136307 | ofsted = Good | staff = | enrolment = 1550 | gender = Mixed | lower_age = 11 | upper_age = 18 | houses = | colours = Black, red, and white
| publication = | free_label_1 = | free_1 = | free_label_2 = | free_2 = | free_label_3 = | free_3 = | website = http://www.highdown.reading.sch.uk/ Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre is an academy in Emmer Green on the outskirts of Reading, Berkshire, England. It has a capacity for approximately 1600 students aged 11–18. There are currently 1459 students on roll at the school with 262 students attending the Sixth Form. Highdown School is a non-selective school with provision for Special Education Needs and is a specialist school for maths and computing. Laura Mathews has been the head teacher since January 2025. The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, in 2024, rated the school "good".

History

Grove house, a grade II listed building on the school grounds was built in the 1780s as a small farmhouse for thirty acres of arable farmland.

Highdown School was established as a comprehensive school in September 1971. Highdown School has three Grade II listed buildings within its grounds. The main building was altered and extended by Richard Norman Shaw from 1878–80.

On 1 November 2010, Highdown School became an independently run academy after being judged outstanding by Ofsted. It was the first school in Berkshire to be awarded academy status. During April 2015 Highdown School was judged as "Good" by Ofsted.

On 6 December 2012, the school’s governing body announced that Rachel Cave, formerly a Deputy Headteacher at The Heathland School in Hounslow, would take over the school from Easter 2013, replacing Tim Royle, Headteacher of 13 years.

Controversy

Former headteacher Timothy Royle was accused of three counts of fraud and one count of theft in a case at Reading Magistrates Court.

Royle was accused of falsely reporting how bursary funds were being spent, keeping £7,000 and stealing computers and computer equipment from the school. The ex-headteacher was one of the first appointed National Leaders in Education to advise the Government on education policy who left the school in December 2012. He was cleared of these charges in March 2015.

References

References

1. "DfE : Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre".
2. "Department of Education".
3. "Headteacher's Welcome".
4. "GOV.UK".
5. "Highdown's History".
6. "School Information". Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre.
7. "Highdown School, Reading". British Listed Buildings.
8. "Music Room at Highdown School, Emmer Green, Reading, Reading". British Listed Buildings.
9. "The Stable Block at Highdown School, Emmer Green, Reading". British Listed Buildings.
10. "Academy Status". Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre.
11. (31 October 2010). "Reading's Highdown School given academy status". BBC News.
12. (22 May 2015). "Highdown School is "good" says Ofsted".
13. (7 December 2012). "New Highdown head "excited" to be taking over school 7 Dec 2012 00:00".
14. (13 August 2014). "\Former Highdown School headteacher Tim Royle denies fraud charges".
15. (3 March 2015). "Highdown School headteacher Tim Royle stole cash, computers and cameras, court hears".
16. (13 August 2014). "Former Highdown School headteacher Tim Royle denies fraud charges".
17. (9 March 2015). "Timothy Royle trial: Former Highdown School headteacher CLEARED of fraud charges".

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