Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre is a mainstream secondary school with resourced provision in Reading for children and young people aged 11 to 18. Its specialist base has 8 places for visual impairment.
- Ages 11–18
- 1,537 pupils
- Ofsted: Good
School details
- Type
- Mainstream school with resourced provision
- Ages
- 11 to 18
- Boys and girls
- Boys and girls
- Specialist base
- Resourced provision, 8 places, 8 pupils
- Pupils
- 1,537
- Headteacher
- Ms Laura Mathews (Headteacher)
- Part of
- Glf Schools
- Council
- Reading
- School reference (URN)
- 136307
Needs its base supports
1 need: vision
As listed by the Department for Education, grouped the way EHC plans describe needs.
Sensory and physical
- Visual impairment Other schools for this in Reading (1)
How to get a place
4 steps, starting with an EHC plan
- An EHC plan
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision are usually for children with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. If your child doesn’t have one yet, you can ask the council for an assessment yourself.
- Visit and ask about the base
See the school and its specialist base, and ask how children split their time between the base and mainstream classes.
- Ask for the school to be named
Tell the council that looks after the plan (often Reading council) that you want this school and its base, and ask them to consult it.
- Named in the plan
If the school is named in your child’s plan, it must admit your child. Places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school, so ask how they decide.
Questions to ask when you visit
8 questions to tick off as you go
Ticks stay on this device, so you can use them on the day.
Ofsted
Rated Good, April 2015; school remains Good (March 2024)
Rated Good at its last graded inspection, in April 2015. That was some time ago, so read the latest report for the full picture.
- Leadership and managementGood
- Sixth formRequires improvement
Since then: School remains Good (ungraded inspection, March 2024).
Contact and getting there
Surley Row, Emmer Green, Reading, RG4 8LR
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Directions: Walk Public transport Drive
Email me these details
The school’s details, how to get a place and the questions to ask, in your inbox.
Other SEND schools nearby
- Aurora Rowan School Independent · Ages 5–19 · Ofsted report card (2026) 1.0 mile
- New Bridge Nursery School Mainstream + base · Ages 2–5 · Ofsted: Outstanding 1.2 miles
- River Academy Mainstream + base · Ages 11–18 1.3 miles
By need in Reading: Autism (6) · Speech and language (5) · Moderate learning (4) · Severe learning (4) · SEMH (3) · Vision (2)
Questions about Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre
How do I get a place in Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre’s specialist base?
Places in an SEN unit or resourced provision usually come through an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan: ask the council that looks after the plan to consult the school about its base. If the school is named in the plan it must admit your child; places in the base itself are agreed between the council and the school.
What needs does Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre support?
Visual impairment. Every child is different, so ask the school how it would meet your child’s needs.
What ages does Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre take?
Aged 11 to 18, boys and girls.
What is Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre’s Ofsted rating?
Rated Good by Ofsted in March 2024 at its last graded inspection. Newer inspections no longer give a single overall grade, so read the latest report for the full picture.
Where is Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre?
Surley Row, Emmer Green, Reading, RG4 8LR, in Reading.
School data: DfE Get Information About Schools, under the Open Government Licence. Postcode lookups by postcodes.io: contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right, Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right, and National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right. Distances are as the crow flies. Always check details and admissions with the school and your council.