Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre is a state-funded secondary academy in Reading, UK, serving approximately 1,000+ students aged 11-18 with GCSE, A-Level, and BTEC programmes. Funded through UK government per-pupil grants via GLF Schools multi-academy trust, with ancillary revenue from catering, trips, and facilities hire.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersReading, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre does
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre is a state-funded secondary academy located at Surley Row, Emmer Green, Reading, United Kingdom, serving approximately 1,000+ students across Years 7-13 (ages 11-18). The institution delivers secondary education (GCSEs) and a post-16 sixth form offering A-Levels, BTEC Level 3 qualifications, and GCSE retakes across 30+ subject courses. Its underlying technology stack is composed of standard edtech platforms — Class Charts for attendance and parent communication, GCSE Pod, Kerboodle, Accelerated Reader, and the Microsoft Office 365 ecosystem — with no proprietary AI or differentiated technology product.
The school operates under a non-commercial educational business model: the core service (state education) is free to UK students and funded entirely by government per-pupil grants flowing through GLF Schools, the multi-academy trust that Highdown joined on 1 October 2024. Ancillary revenue streams include paid catering, uniform sales, school trips, and facilities hire for community use. There are no tuition fees, no subscription tiers, and no external customers in the commercial sense — the customer base is students aged 11-18 (primary) and their parents/guardians (secondary), with intake managed through formal Year 7 and Sixth Form admissions processes. Marketing is conducted through open events, prospectus materials, the school website, parent newsletters, and community engagement with local primary schools.
Differentiation rests on academic outcomes (80% English and Maths GCSE pass rate, 20%+ A/A* at A-Level), a four-house system (Caversham Lions, Grove Griffins, Mapledurham Dragons, Rosehill Red Kites), the PiXL Edge LORIC leadership programme, and international opportunism (Mandarin Excellence Programme, China residential, DofE expeditions). The school is led by Headteacher Ms L Mathews with a senior leadership team of two Deputy Headteachers (Curriculum, Culture), an Assistant Headteacher tier, and Curriculum Leaders across all major subjects. Governance, central administration, and regulatory compliance are now consolidated under GLF Schools.
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre
- Legal name
- GLF Schools (trading as Highdown School & Sixth Form Centre)
- Website
- https://highdown.reading.sch.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre is a state-funded secondary academy in Reading, UK, serving approximately 1,000+ students aged 11-18 with GCSE, A-Level, and BTEC programmes. Funded through UK government per-pupil grants via GLF Schools multi-academy trust, with ancillary revenue from catering, trips, and facilities hire.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Secondary Education
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD)
Keywords
Where Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Reading
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Government Academy Funding: State-funded academy receiving government per-pupil funding for educational services
- Facilities Hire: School facilities available for community hire including sports facilities, drama studios, and learning spaces
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Free state education for students aged 11-18 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre is a state-funded secondary school providing full-time education to students aged 11-18 in Reading, UK. It delivers GCSE programmes across 30+ subjects in Years 7-11 and post-16 study programmes in the Sixth Form including A-Levels, BTEC Level 3 qualifications, and GCSE retakes. The school supplements its core curriculum with co-curricular programmes such as the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Mandarin Excellence Programme, international trips, leadership pathways, and the PiXL Edge student development initiative.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sixth Form Study Programmes Post-16 education programmes for students aged 16-18 offering A-Level courses, BTEC Level 3 qualifications, and GCSE retakes across subjects including Art, Business, Sciences, Humanities, Languages, Mathematics, Performing Arts, and Technology. Designed for students preparing for university, further education, or employment.
- Secondary Education (Years 7-11) Full-time secondary education for students aged 11-16 covering 30+ GCSE subjects, delivered by specialist teaching staff. Includes pastoral care, assessment and reporting, and preparation for further education.
- PiXL Edge Student Development Programme Student development programme with three progressive challenge levels (Apprentice, Graduate, Masters) helping students develop LORIC attributes. Completion leads to a recognised NCFE qualification. Launched in 2024 with Year 7 students.
- Duke of Edinburgh's Award Programme Prestigious DofE award programme offered at Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels including volunteering, skills development, physical activities, and expeditions across Wales, New Forest, and the Chilterns. Delivered in partnership with School of Outdoors.
- Mandarin Excellence Programme Specialist language programme offering intensive Mandarin Chinese instruction, including residential trips to China for participating students.
- Student Leadership Team Structured student leadership programme including Student Chairs and Deputy Chairs (Year 12), Junior Student Chairs (Year 10), Key Stage 3 Ambassadors, Prefects, and Buddies, providing public speaking, mentoring, and school improvement opportunities.
- Trips, Visits and Events Programme Annual curricular and extra-curricular trips including Geography residentials (Pembrokeshire, Malaysia), History trips (Berlin, Normandy), Mandarin Excellence Programme trips (China), Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, and international visits.
- Facilities Hire Hire of school facilities including drama studios, recording studios, school hall, sports facilities, science labs, and learning spaces to community groups and external organisations outside school hours.
Companies that use Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
Feature3 records
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- GLF SchoolscoreAcademy trust that Highdown School is part of. GLF Schools manages multiple academy schools across Surrey and the South East, providing shared governance, resources, and educational frameworks. Highdown joined GLF Schools in October 2024.
- School of OutdoorscorePartner organisation delivering the Duke of Edinburgh's Award programme at Bronze, Silver, and Gold levels. Organises expeditions across Wales, the New Forest, and the Chilterns.
- Mandarin Excellence ProgrammeminorInternational programme providing Mandarin language education with links to China, including residential trips to China for students.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Ark Schools: Ark Schools is a major UK multi-academy trust running primary and secondary academies with a focus on educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. Comparable to GLF Schools in operating multiple state secondary schools under unified governance.
- GLF Schools: GLF Schools is the multi-academy trust that Highdown joined in October 2024. It directly governs Highdown and operates multiple primary and secondary academies across the South East, making it the most comparable institutional peer for governance, funding flows, and operational structure.
- Harris Federation: Harris Federation is one of the largest UK multi-academy trusts, operating numerous primary and secondary academies. It is comparable to GLF Schools in scale and operating model, providing a benchmark for trust-level governance and resource sharing relevant to Highdown's position within GLF.
Direct peers
- Reading School: Reading School is a selective state grammar school for boys in the same Reading catchment as Highdown. Both serve secondary-aged pupils in the same local market, compete for high-attaining students, and operate under similar UK state-funded frameworks, though Reading School is selective.
- Kendrick School: Kendrick School is a selective girls' grammar school in Reading, directly competing with Highdown for the same parental pool seeking strong academic outcomes in the local area. Both serve Years 7-13 and operate as state-funded secondary institutions.
- John Madejski Academy: John Madejski Academy (now part of the Activate Learning Education Trust) is a state secondary school in Reading serving a similar cohort. It is a direct comparator for academic outcomes, capacity, and curricular breadth in the local market.
- Maiden Erlegh School: Maiden Erlegh School is a large co-educational secondary school in the Reading/Earley area, serving Years 7-13. It is a direct local competitor for student recruitment and shares the same state-funded delivery model and catchment demographics.
- Prospect School: Prospect School is another local co-educational secondary school in Reading. It competes directly with Highdown for Year 7 intake from surrounding primary schools and operates under the same funding and regulatory framework.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre social profiles
Digital presenceHighdown School and Sixth Form Centre financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre
What does Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre do?
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre is a state-funded secondary school providing full-time education to students aged 11-18 in Reading, UK. It delivers GCSE programmes across 30+ subjects in Years 7-11 and post-16 study programmes in the Sixth Form including A-Levels, BTEC Level 3 qualifications, and GCSE retakes. The school supplements its core curriculum with co-curricular programmes such as the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Mandarin Excellence Programme, international trips, leadership pathways, and the PiXL Edge student development initiative.
Is Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre a public or private company?
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre founded?
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre was founded in -1. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre based?
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre is headquartered in Reading, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Government Academy Funding is the primary driver. The others are facilities Hire.
Who are Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Ark Schools, GLF Schools and Harris Federation. Direct peers are Reading School, Kendrick School, John Madejski Academy, Maiden Erlegh School and Prospect School.
Does Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre have an API?
No public API is recorded for Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre.
What industry is Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre in?
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre's product category is Secondary Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAAAD, Public High Schools. Its NAICS code is 6111 and its SIC code is 8200.