Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre
Academy converter secondary school in Reading (Reading).
Location
iSchool location from Get Information about Schools. Nearby schools are coloured by phase. Open Map+ for a full-screen map with neighbourhood deprivation (England only).About
Highdown was established as a comprehensive school in 1971. Currently, we have in the region of 1,560 students on roll from 11 to 18 years of age. The school includes three grade II listed buildings within its 28 acre grounds.
Highdown was awarded academy status in 2010 and was judged to be a good school by Ofsted in April 2015 and confirmed in a short inspection in October 2018. Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre is a thriving school where all students are challenged to reach excellence every day.
These pages will tell you more about the school community and the opportunities available for our students. Please visit h ere for our Senior Leaders contact page. Highdown is a happy, caring, thriving and inclusive school where all students aspire to, and achieve their full potential.
From their first day students will be motivated , challenged and engaged by high quality teaching and so develop a lifelong love of learning.
In the school’s own words, from the school website.
Enrichment
4 activitiesiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Students
- Co-curricular Programme
- Accelerated Reader
- World Challenge
Awards
3 awardsiFound on the school website by WhatSchool. Not verified by Governance Register; the school website is the authority.- Duke of EdinburghPersonal development
- Carnegie Centre of ExcellenceRecognised award
- Teaching School HubRecognised award
Key facts
- URN
- 136307
- Type
- Academy converter
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Sixth form
- Has a sixth form
- Local authority
- Reading
- Constituency
- Reading Central
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 2010
Governing body (7 current, 2 former)
iAcademy trust: local governing body and trust board.Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prof Arttu Rajantie Former | Chair of Local Governing Body | Appointed by GB/board | since 2013 · term ended 2025 |
Full governing body
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ms M Mallett | Local Governance Professional - Individual Academy or Free SchoolGovernance professional | since 2025 | |
| Ms Laura Chislett | Local Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mrs Meredith Miller | Local Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mr Rodney Ogbeide | Local Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Ms Laura Mathews | Local Governor | Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher/principal | since 2025 |
| Dr Caroline Foulkes | Local Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Prof Elizabeth McCrum | Local Governor | Elected by parents | since 2023 · until 2027 ends 2027 |
| Mr Marco Cuttin Former | Local Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2017 · term ended 2026 |
Source: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (governance records, as at 1 November 2026). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Names are shown as published; there are no addresses or contact details. Current and former are worked out from term end dates when the page loads. Object or ask for removal · Report an issue with this record