River Academy
Free schools 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
We are incredibly proud to have opened this exciting new secondary school benefiting from a multi-million pound building programme and state-of-the-art facilities. Our school, which opened its doors for the first time in September 2024, provides a fantastic and enriching environment for teaching and learning, student care and support; a place for students to thrive and succeed.
When full, River Academy will cater for 1200 students between the ages of 11 and 18, of all abilities and backgrounds. Maiden Erlegh Trust has a strong track record of running high-achieving, inclusive and vibrant schools and supporting talented and highly qualified education professionals at all stages of their career.
River Academy joins a community of schools ranging from primary to Sixth Form, and from mainstream to special and alternative provision. The school and its students benefit from this wealth of experience, skill and enthusiasm, whilst at the same time carving out its own unique identity.
In the school’s own words, from the school website.
Key facts
- URN
- 150728
- Type
- Free schools
- Phase
- Secondary
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Gender
- Mixed
- Admissions
- Non-selective
- Sixth form
- Has a sixth form
- Nursery
- No Nursery Classes
- Local authority
- Reading
- Constituency
- Reading Central
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 2024
Governing body (9 current, 3 former)
iAcademy trust: local governing body and trust board.2 governors are linked to a profile (0 confirmed, 2 (likely)).
Leadership
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paddy Bullard (likely) | Chair of Local Governing Body | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2026 · until 2030 |
| Bob Kenwrick (likely) Former | Chair of Local Governing Body | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2024 · term ended 2026 |
Full governing body
| Name | Role | How appointed | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joanne Martinez | Local Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2026 · until 2029 |
| Tina Donne | Local Governor | Appointed by GB/board | since 2025 · until 2029 |
| Mustafa Chaudhary | Local Governor | Elected by parents | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Muhammed Siddique | Local Governor | Elected by parents | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Sara Stevens | Local Governor | Elected by school staff | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Andrew Hartley | Local Governor | Ex-officio by virtue of office as headteacher/principal | since 2024 |
| Amanda Milner | Local Governor | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2024 · until 2028 |
| Susan Roberts | Local Governance Professional - Individual Academy or Free SchoolGovernance professional | since 2023 | |
| Anne Kennedy Former | Local Governor | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2024 · term ended 2026 |
| Rachel Maclennan Former | Local Governor | Appointed by foundation/Trust | since 2024 · term ended 2026 |
Source: Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (governance records, as at 25 October 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