Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre
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Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre is a converter academy in Reading for boys and girls aged 11 to 18. It has 1,537 pupils, 97 more than it has places for. About 10 in every 100 pupils come from a low-income family, far fewer than at most schools in England. We give it 71 out of 100. That puts it above schools like it, ahead of 36% of the 50 schools most like it. Ofsted's last grade was good, back in 2024.
Surley Row, Emmer Green, Reading, RG4 8LR0118 901 5800highdown.reading.sch.ukMs Laura Mathews headteacherAll details
What Ofsted found
A shorter visit on 27 March 2024 found nothing to change the school's grade. Read the report on Ofsted's website.
Good overall. A shorter follow-up visit found nothing to change that. The last full inspection was before September 2019, which is as far back as Ofsted's public records go, so we can't show its date or the grades for each area.
Results
GCSE results, summer 2025
248 pupils sat their GCSEs. Here is how they did against every state secondary in England.
All GCSE measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 | Reading | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils at the end of Year 11 | 248 | 277 | 234 | 240 | 220 | 206 | – | – |
| Average GCSE scoreAttainment 8 | 50.4 | 53.5 | 53.4 | 51.9 | 49.6 | 46.5 | 53.8 | 46.8 |
| Progress from age 11Progress 8 | – | +0.25 | +0.07 | -0.18 | -0.02 | -0.16 | – | – |
| Strong pass in English and mathsGrade 5+ in English and maths | 57% | 61% | 57% | 55% | 47% | 47% | 56% | 46% |
| Standard pass in English and mathsGrade 4+ in English and maths | 75% | 80% | 80% | 73% | 68% | 63% | 71% | 66% |
| Core subjects scoreEBacc average point score | 4.61 | 4.87 | 4.80 | 4.72 | 4.33 | 4.20 | 4.94 | 4.15 |
| Taking the core subjectsEBacc entry | 39% | 39% | 38% | 40% | 27% | 33% | 53% | 41% |
| Average GCSE score: low-income pupilsAttainment 8, disadvantaged | 32.6 | 39.2 | 37.3 | 34.1 | 41.3 | 37.3 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: other pupilsAttainment 8, non-disadvantaged | 52.2 | 55.1 | 55.5 | 53.4 | 51.0 | 48.1 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started behindAttainment 8, low prior attainers | – | 30.6 | 29.3 | 30.7 | 30.1 | 19.7 | – | – |
| Average GCSE score: pupils who started aheadAttainment 8, high prior attainers | – | 68.9 | 66.1 | 69.8 | 62.8 | 60.9 | – | – |
Subjects
Results came out for 24 GCSE subjects in 2025. Each figure is the share of pupils who got a grade 5 or better, next to the average for state secondaries in England.
Strongest subjects
Subjects that did worse than the England average: Physical Education (27% here, 56% across England), Economics (48% here, 70% across England), Food Preparation & Nutrition (38% here, 52% across England), Business (39% here, 51% across England).
The small number is how many pupils sat each subject. Subjects with fewer than six pupils aren't published.
Every subject against England, 2025
| Subject | Entries | Grades 9 to 7 | Grades 9 to 5 | Grades 9 to 4 | England 9 to 5 | Rank in England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language | 298 | 17% | 53% | 71% | 54% | 1,548 of 3,210 |
| Mathematics | 245 | 31% | 65% | 81% | 53% | 627 of 3,211 |
| English Literature | 236 | 20% | 61% | 77% | 58% | 1,215 of 3,202 |
| Combined Science | 175 | 8% | 51% | 67% | 36% | 503 of 3,084 |
| History | 136 | 26% | 65% | 78% | 52% | 681 of 3,126 |
| Geography | 122 | 24% | 54% | 74% | 51% | 1,128 of 3,116 |
| Business | 108 | 12% | 39% | 57% | 51% | 1,220 of 1,806 |
| Physical Education | 78 | 6% | 27% | 55% | 56% | 1,377 of 1,559 |
| Physics | 67 | 72% | 100% | 100% | 82% | 179 of 2,546 |
| Biology | 67 | 75% | 100% | 100% | 82% | 135 of 2,570 |
| Chemistry | 67 | 61% | 100% | 100% | 81% | 306 of 2,537 |
| Art and Design | 59 | 37% | 78% | 90% | 58% | 537 of 2,818 |
| Social Studies | 51 | 18% | 53% | 71% | 54% | 537 of 1,043 |
| Music | 47 | 47% | 79% | 92% | 61% | 149 of 395 |
| Spanish | 43 | 9% | 44% | 65% | 54% | 1,350 of 1,941 |
| Other Modern Languages | 35 | 54% | 74% | 77% | 49% | 148 of 454 |
| Computer Science | 34 | 24% | 53% | 68% | 56% | 958 of 1,861 |
| Food Preparation & Nutrition | 34 | 3% | 38% | 56% | 52% | 796 of 1,098 |
| French | 32 | 41% | 84% | 91% | 60% | 313 of 1,974 |
| Economics | 27 | 11% | 48% | 67% | 70% | 114 of 142 |
| Drama | 26 | 35% | 58% | 65% | 60% | 512 of 844 |
| Statistics | 22 | 68% | 86% | 96% | 51% | 122 of 375 |
| Design & Technology | 18 | 22% | 50% | 67% | 50% | – |
| Religious Studies | 10 | 10% | 60% | 60% | 60% | – |
In combined science each pupil gets two grades and we count the lower one. Rankings only include state secondaries where 20 or more pupils sat the subject.
A level and sixth-form results, 2025
161 students finished sixth-form courses.
All sixth-form measures, year by year
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 161 | 162 | 159 | 172 | 210 | 215 |
| Average A level points per entryA level APS per entry | 34.39 | 32.25 | 28.89 | 37.81 | 36.33 | 35.52 |
| Average A level grade | C+ | C+ | C | B- | B- | B- |
| Best three A levelsBest 3 A levels APS | 34.73 | 32.70 | 29.10 | 38.60 | 35.05 | 34.98 |
| AAB or better in subjects universities likeAAB+ in two facilitating subjects | 17% | 12% | 8% | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| A level progressA level value added | +0.16 | -0.03 | – | – | +0.28 | +0.21 |
| Applied general courses: points per entry | 32.14 | 24.93 | 27.35 | 31.49 | – | – |
| Stayed and finishedRetained and assessed | 96% | 97% | 92% | 95% | 84% | 85% |
A level subjects
17 A level subjects had results in 2025. Each figure is the share of students who got an A* to B, next to the average for state sixth forms in England. When only a handful of students take a subject, its figures jump around from year to year.
Strongest A levels
Every A level subject against England, 2025
A levels only. BTECs, T levels and other courses are in the table above. Subjects with fewer than five students aren't published.
Does every child do well here?
A good school does well by every child, not just on average. Each row compares two groups of pupils here. The grey marks show the same two groups across England. 1 of the 3 gaps is smaller than the gap across England. When a group has fewer than about ten pupils, its figures jump around a lot from year to year.
At GCSE, 2025
Low-income means the child has had free school meals at some point in the last six years. A group's figure isn't published when it has fewer than six pupils.
Getting a place
Open to all. There is no entrance test.
The school is full, with 113 more pupils than it has places for. More families apply than can get in, so things like how close you live and whether an older brother or sister is already here decide who gets a place. Pupil numbers have stayed about the same since 2021/22.
How places were given out for September 2026.
| Entry | Places | Got a place | How far the last child lived | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Secondary | 250 | 250 | – | LA |
Who goes here
Who a school teaches matters. That is why our score compares it with schools that take in a similar mix of children, not with every school in the country.
Specialist SEND provision. Resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) with 8 pupils, for visual impairment.
To get a place in the unit or resourced provision, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school. Other schools in Reading with visual impairment provision.
The most common needs among pupils getting extra support: Autistic spectrum disorder (77), emotional and mental health (62), Specific learning difficulty (53), language and communications needs (9), Physical disability (7), SEN support but no specialist assessment of type of need (6).
How the mix of pupils has changed
| Census | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pupils on roll | 1,537 | 1,545 | 1,562 | 1,575 | 1,571 | 1,492 |
| Pupils from low-income familiesFree school meals | 9% | 9% | 9% | 9% | 7% | 6% |
| Pupils learning EnglishEnglish as an additional language | 14% | 16% | 16% | 16% | 16% | 14% |
| Pupils getting extra supportSEN support | – | 12% | 11% | 10% | 10% | 13% |
| Pupils with an EHC planEducation, health and care plans | – | 2% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 2% |
Attendance and behaviour
In 2024/25 pupils were in school 91.7% of the time. Across similar schools in England it was 91.4%.
Attendance year by year
| Measure | 2024/25 | 2023/24 | 2022/23 | 2021/22 | 2020/21 | 2018/19 | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sessions missedOverall absence | 8.3% | 8.3% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 3.6% | 4.9% | 8.6% |
| Missed with permissionAuthorised absence | 4.8% | 4.8% | 5.4% | 6.3% | 2.9% | 4.1% | – |
| Missed without permissionUnauthorised absence | 3.5% | 3.5% | 2.5% | 1.6% | 0.7% | 0.7% | – |
| Pupils missing a lot of schoolPersistent absence | 21.0% | 21.2% | 22.9% | 24.4% | 7.2% | 11.1% | 23.9% |
| SuspensionsSuspension rate | 10.6 | 8.5 | 6.0 | 5.2 | 2.5 | – | – |
| Permanent exclusionsPermanent exclusions | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | – |
What pupils do next
After GCSEs
Where the 234 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 98% | 94% | 93% | 96% |
| Education | 95% | 89% | 86% | 92% |
| Apprenticeship | 2% | 1% | 3% | 2% |
| Work | 2% | 4% | 4% | 2% |
| Not in education, work or training | 2% | 3% | 5% | 4% |
After sixth form
Where the 150 pupils who left in 2022/23 were a year later.
Among pupils from low-income families it was 80%, compared with 87% for everyone else.
Where the ones heading for university went
Among students from low-income families, 57% went on to degree-level study or training and 0% to a top-third university.
Earlier years
| Destination | 2022/23 leavers | 2021/22 leavers | 2020/21 leavers | 2019/20 leavers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Still in education, work or training | 87% | 90% | 89% | – |
| Education | 47% | 67% | 64% | – |
| Apprenticeship | 3% | 3% | 6% | 1% |
| Work | 36% | 20% | 19% | – |
| Not in education, work or training | 9% | 7% | 6% | – |
Staff and money
From the government's count of school staff in November 2025 and the school's published accounts.
Money
From the academy accounts return, year to August 2025. The per-pupil figures are compared with other secondary schools in England that report their accounts the same way.
Reserves are the money left over at the end of the year, kept back for emergencies and big projects. Being in the red year after year is a warning sign. Very large reserves can mean money sitting in the bank instead of being spent on today's pupils. Academy figures are rounded to the nearest £1,000 and include a share of any money the trust holds centrally.
The area around the school
Crime figures come from police.uk. The police record each crime at the nearest of a fixed set of map points rather than the exact spot, so “within 500 m” is only rough. House prices are from HM Land Registry sales nearby over the last two years.
Nearby schools
The closest secondary schools, nearest first. Hover over a row to see it on the map.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Academy | Free school | 1.3 miles | 373 | Not inspected | – | Compare |
| Kendrick School | Academy (grammar) | 2.2 miles | 939 | Outstanding 2022 | 99 | Compare |
| Maiden Erlegh Chiltern Edge | Academy | 2.3 miles | 374 | Good 2022 | 27 | Compare |
| Reading School | Academy (grammar) | 2.5 miles | 1,138 | Outstanding 2023 | 99 | Compare |
| The WREN School | Free school | 2.6 miles | 931 | Report card 2026 | 42 | Compare |
| Maiden Erlegh School in Reading | Free school | 2.8 miles | 889 | Good 2023 | 54 | Compare |
| UTC Reading | University technical college | 2.8 miles | 299 | No overall grade 2025 | 17 | Compare |
| Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic School | Roman Catholic | 2.8 miles | 1,082 | Good 2023 | 53 | Compare |
Compared with schools like it
Our score compares Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre with the 50 schools in England whose pupils are most like its own. We match on family income, how many children are learning English, special needs, the neighbourhood, the size of the school and how it admits pupils. Those 50 schools are dotted all over the country, so we don't list them. What matters is where this school sits among them.
Nearby schools with a similar mix of pupils that score higher
Of those 50 schools, these are within 25 km and score at least five points more than Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre, nearest first. A school with the same kind of pupils and a higher score is the fairest sign that it gets more out of them.
| School | Type | Distance | Pupils | Ofsted | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bohunt School Wokingham | Academy | 7.9 miles | 1,313 | Not inspected | 85 | Compare |
| Edgbarrow School | Academy | 11.4 miles | 1,491 | Outstanding 2022 | 88 | Compare |
How the score was worked out
The score is out of 100. A 71 means that once everything below is added up, this school comes out ahead of 71% of secondary schools in England. Results bounce around from year to year, especially in small schools, so we also show a likely range: 63 to 77. Every part is judged against schools with a similar mix of pupils. For small schools we pull each part towards the group average, so one unusual year can't swing the score too far.
| What we looked at | How much it counts | Against schools like it | Effect on the score | Based on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results over three years | 20% | above | +0.13 | 2025, 2024 and 2023 results; 248 pupils |
| Ofsted inspection | 20% | in line | +0.02 | Ofsted grade, 2.5 years old |
| Progress pupils make | 20% | above | +0.11 | DfE progress measure; 248 pupils |
| Direction of travel over five years | 10% | in line | +0.00 | results and attendance falling year on year |
| Attendance and behaviour | 10% | in line | +0.03 | 2024/25; 1,250 pupils |
| Results, allowing for the mix of pupils | 10% | in line | -0.02 | Attainment relative to schools with a similar intake; 248 pupils |
| What pupils do next | 5% | well above | +0.06 | 234 pupils |
| What parents say | 0% | no data | – |
Worked out on 13 September 2026 (method v1). Read how the score works, including every weight and the checks we run. Think a number is wrong? Tell us.
Questions parents ask
Is Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre a good school?
Yes, going by the figures. Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre scores 71 out of 100. That is above schools that take in a similar mix of pupils, and ahead of 36% of the 50 schools most like it in England. The score could fairly be anywhere from 63 to 77, so a few points either way between schools doesn't mean much.
What is Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre's Ofsted rating?
Ofsted rated Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre good at its last full inspection on 27 March 2024.
How good are Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre's GCSE results?
In summer 2025, 57% of pupils got a grade 5 or better in both English and maths. Across England it was 46%. Its Attainment 8 score, which is the average grade across a pupil's best eight subjects times ten, was 50.4, against 46.8 for England. In each subject, pupils here finished about half a grade ahead of children across England who started secondary school at the same level.
How many pupils does Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre have?
1,537 pupils aged 11 to 18 were on the roll in January 2026. It has 1,440 places, so it is 107% full.
Is Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre oversubscribed?
Probably. The school was full in 2024/25, with 113 more pupils than places. How close you live, and the school's other admissions rules, decide who gets in.
What is attendance like at Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre?
Pupils were in school 91.7% of the time in 2024/25. Similar schools in England managed 91.4%. 21% of pupils missed at least a tenth of the year.
How big are the classes at Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre?
The average class had 22.6 pupils in January 2026. Across England it was 22.8. 5% of classes had more than 30 pupils.
Does Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre have specialist SEND provision?
Yes. It has resourced provision (extra staff and funding within a mainstream school) for visual impairment. To get a place there, a child normally needs an education, health and care plan (EHCP) that names the school.
Does Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre have a sixth form?
Yes. The average A level grade in 2025 was C+. 17 A level subjects had results in 2025; the full list is in the results section.
These answers come straight from the figures on this page and update when new data comes out.
Contact and details
- Address
- Surley Row, Emmer Green, Reading, RG4 8LR
- Telephone
- 0118 901 5800
- Website
- www.highdown.reading.sch.uk
- Headteacher
- Ms Laura Mathews
- Type of school
- Converter academy (Academy converter, academies)
- Phase
- Secondary school, ages 11-18, with sixth form
- Gender
- Mixed
- Religious character
- None
- Multi-academy trust
- GLF Schools (43 schools)
- Local authority
- Reading
- Ward
- Caversham Heights
- Constituency
- Reading Central
- Setting
- Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
- Opened
- 1 November 2010 (academy converter)
- URN
- 136307 · LAESTAB 8704020 · UKPRN 10032203
- Formerly
- Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre
Recent changes
- New KS4 results for 2024/25
Where these figures come from
- School details: Department for Education, Get Information About Schools, refreshed daily (this page rebuilt 13 September 2026).
- Inspections: Ofsted management information, monthly; latest publication in our data 27 August 2026.
- GCSE results: DfE key stage 4 performance tables, 2024/25 final.
- Attendance: DfE pupil absence in schools in England, 2024/25 full year.
- Pupil characteristics: DfE school census, January 2026.
- Staff: DfE school workforce census, November 2025.
- Class sizes: DfE schools, pupils and their characteristics, January 2026.
- Pupil premium: DfE allocations and conditions of grant, 2026 to 2027.
- Money: DfE financial benchmarking and insights tool, academy accounts return 2024/25.
- A level subjects: DfE A level and other 16 to 18 results, subject entries and grades, 2024/25.
- Admissions outcomes: Reading council's published allocation statistics (source), entry years 2026.
- Neighbourhood: police.uk street-level crime, HM Land Registry price paid data, NaPTAN bus stops, English Indices of Deprivation 2025.
- All under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Full list and update calendar.