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Highdown School
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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] Laura Mathews has been the head teacher since January 2025.[3] The school's most recent Ofsted inspection, in 2024, rated the school "good".[4]
Key Information
History
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]- ^ "DfE : Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre". Retrieved 3 March 2020.
- ^ "Department of Education". Retrieved 3 March 2020.
- ^ "Headteacher's Welcome". Retrieved 3 March 2020.
- ^ "GOV.UK". Retrieved 3 March 2020.
- ^ "Highdown's History". Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- ^ "School Information". Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
- ^ "Highdown School, Reading". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
- ^ "Music Room at Highdown School, Emmer Green, Reading, Reading". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
- ^ "The Stable Block at Highdown School, Emmer Green, Reading". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
- ^ "Academy Status". Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
- ^ "Reading's Highdown School given academy status". BBC News. 31 October 2010. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
- ^ "Highdown School is "good" says Ofsted". 22 May 2015.
- ^ "New Highdown head "excited" to be taking over school 7 Dec 2012 00:00". 7 December 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
- ^ "\Former Highdown School headteacher Tim Royle denies fraud charges". Berkshire Live. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
- ^ "Highdown School headteacher Tim Royle stole cash, computers and cameras, court hears". Get Reading. 3 March 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
- ^ "Former Highdown School headteacher Tim Royle denies fraud charges". Berkshire Live. 13 August 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
- ^ "Timothy Royle trial: Former Highdown School headteacher CLEARED of fraud charges". Berkshire Live. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 4 March 2020.
