Highdown School

Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre
Address
Surley Row Reading , Berkshire , RG4 8LR England
Coordinates	51.481551°N 0.975113°W / 51.481551; -0.975113
Information
Type	Academy
Motto	Aspire and Achieve
Established	1971
Local authority	Reading Borough Council
Specialist	Maths and Computing
Department for Education URN	136307 Tables
Ofsted	Reports
Chair Of Governors	A Rajantie
Head teacher	Rachel Cave
Gender	Mixed
Age	11 to 18
Enrolment	1550
Colour(s)	Black, red, and white
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.^[1] Highdown School is a non-selective school with provision for Special Education Needs and is a specialist school for maths and computing.^[2] Rachel Cave has been the head teacher since 2013.^[3] The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, in 2018, rated the school "good".^[4]

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.^[5]

Highdown School was established as a comprehensive school in September 1971.^[6] 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.^[7][8][9]

On 1 November 2010, Highdown School became an independently run academy after being judged outstanding by Ofsted.^[10] It was the first school in Berkshire to be awarded academy status.^[11] During April 2015 Highdown School was judged as "Good" by Ofsted.^[12]

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.^[13]

Controversy

Former headteacher Timothy Royle was accused of three counts of fraud and one count of theft in a case at Reading Magistrates Court.^[14]

Royle was accused of falsely reporting how bursary funds were being spent, keeping £7,000 and stealing computers and computer equipment from the school.^[15] 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.^[16] He was cleared of these charges in March 2015.^[17]

References

1. "DfE : Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre". Retrieved 3 March 2020.
2. "Department of Education". Retrieved 3 March 2020.
3. "Headteacher's Welcome". Retrieved 3 March 2020.
4. "GOV.UK". Retrieved 3 March 2020.
5. "Highdown's History". Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
6. "School Information". Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
7. "Highdown School, Reading". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
8. "Music Room at Highdown School, Emmer Green, Reading, Reading". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
9. "The Stable Block at Highdown School, Emmer Green, Reading". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
10. "Academy Status". Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
11. "Reading's Highdown School given academy status". BBC News. 31 October 2010. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
12. "Highdown School is "good" says Ofsted". 22 May 2015.
13. "New Highdown head "excited" to be taking over school 7 Dec 2012 00:00". 7 December 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
14. "\Former Highdown School headteacher Tim Royle denies fraud charges". Berkshire Live. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
15. "Highdown School headteacher Tim Royle stole cash, computers and cameras, court hears". Get Reading. 3 March 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
16. "Former Highdown School headteacher Tim Royle denies fraud charges". Berkshire Live. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
17. "Timothy Royle trial: Former Highdown School headteacher CLEARED of fraud charges". Berkshire Live. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2020.

External links

• Official website