| Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre | |
| Coordinates: | 51.4816°N -0.9751°W |
| Motto: | Aspire and Achieve |
| Established: | 1971 |
| Type: | Academy |
| Head: | Rachel Cave |
| 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/ |
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]
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]
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]