Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre

About Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre

Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre is a secondary school in Reading, classified by the DfE as a converter academy. Around 1,545 pupils aged 11 to 18 attend the school. The school's average Attainment 8 score in the latest GCSE results was 50.4 — above the national average (national average: 46). Its Attainment 8 score has fallen by 3.1 points compared with the previous year. On our composite score, which combines the DfE attainment measures above, this places it in the top 28% of secondary schools nationally.

57% of pupils achieved a grade 5 or above in both English and maths, well above the national average of about 45%. 75% achieved a standard pass (grade 4+) in English and maths. 96% of the families who made Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre their first choice were offered a Year 7 place for September 2026, even though the school made at least as many offers as it had first choices - the rest withdrew, moved or fell outside a priority group. In 2026 the furthest child offered a place lived 3.73 miles from the school in a straight line, according to the council's published allocation figures; the distance changes every year with demand. After Year 11, 98% of its leavers went on to education, an apprenticeship or work that they stayed in for at least two terms. Overall pupil absence was 8.3%. There are about 17.5 pupils per teacher. Its intake is relatively advantaged, with around 11% of pupils eligible for free school meals in the last six years versus about 24% nationally. Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre does not currently have a recent graded Ofsted judgement on record (often the case for newer or recently converted schools), so it is worth asking when its next inspection is expected. This overview is generated automatically from the latest published DfE performance tables and Ofsted data; figures are rounded, and you can check the originals via the official links above.