What year groups does River Academy teach?

River Academy teaches children aged 11 to 18. It is a secondary school in Reading.

Who is the headteacher of River Academy?

The headteacher of River Academy is Mr Andrew Hartley, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.

Has River Academy been inspected?

Ofsted has not inspected River Academy under its current framework, so no current judgement is shown. That is common for newer schools and is not a mark against a school.

How big is River Academy?

River Academy has 373 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 11 to 18.

Is River Academy full?

River Academy has capacity for 1,200 pupils and 373 on roll (31%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.

Is River Academy a faith school?

No. River Academy has no designated religious character.

Is River Academy a selective school?

No. River Academy is recorded as non-selective in the schools register.

Who runs River Academy?

River Academy is part of MAIDEN ERLEGH TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.

What SEN provision does River Academy have?

The schools register lists River Academy's special educational needs provision as: MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty. Contact the school to discuss how it would support a particular child.

What is River Academy's absence rate?

River Academy's overall absence rate is 5.1% in the latest published census.

Does River Academy publish exam results?

OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for River Academy. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.

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River Academy

River Academy

7 Richfield Avenue, Reading, RG1 8EQ

Phase: Secondary
School type: Free schools
Ages: 11 to 18
Gender: Mixed
Religious character: None
Trust: MAIDEN ERLEGH TRUST
Headteacher: Mr Andrew Hartley
Admissions policy: Non-selective
Sponsor: Maiden Erlegh Trust
SEN provision: MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
Constituency: Reading Central
Setting: Urban: Nearer to a major town or city
Capacity: 1,200
Pupils on roll: 373
URN: 150728
Local authority: Reading
Website: School website
Telephone: 01182160400

About this school

River Academy is a secondary academy in Reading. It teaches children aged 11 to 18 and has 373 pupils on roll.

Ofsted has not yet inspected River Academy under its current framework. Where the Department for Education has published them, its results and pupil characteristics appear below. Numbers and a report only go so far, so visit in person before you apply.

Ofsted judgement

River Academy has not been inspected by Ofsted yet. It opened in its current form in September 2024, and new or converted schools usually wait a few years for their first inspection.

How River Academy compares

Its absence rate was lower than 59% of England schools in 2024/25.

School	Attainment 8 (2024/25)	Absence	FSM (6 years)	Pupils	Distance
This school	—	5.1%	29%	373	—
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre	50.4	8.3%	11.1%	1,537	1.3 miles
The WREN School	44.8	8.3%	29.1%	931	1.3 miles
Kendrick School	84	4.9%	9.2%	939	1.4 miles
Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic School	46	7.5%	21.3%	1,082	1.5 miles
King's Academy Prospect	36.8	9.5%	39.7%	1,157	1.8 miles

Results reflect each school's cohort as much as its teaching, and free school meals share is context, not a judgement. Small gaps between neighbouring schools are rarely meaningful on their own.

School context

From the 2024/25 school census and absence figures.

Free school meals (last 6 years): 29.03%
English as an additional language: 31.7%
Overall absence: 5.06%
Persistent absence: 9.9%

Location

Nearby schools

Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre
Secondary · Reading

1.3 miles
The WREN School
Secondary · Reading

1.3 miles
Kendrick School
Secondary · Reading

1.4 miles
Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic School
Secondary · Reading

1.5 miles
King's Academy Prospect
Secondary · Reading

1.8 miles

Common questions

What year groups does River Academy teach?: River Academy teaches children aged 11 to 18. It is a secondary school in Reading.
Who is the headteacher of River Academy?: The headteacher of River Academy is Mr Andrew Hartley, as recorded in the Department for Education's register of schools.
Has River Academy been inspected?: Ofsted has not inspected River Academy under its current framework, so no current judgement is shown. That is common for newer schools and is not a mark against a school.
How big is River Academy?: River Academy has 373 pupils on roll, teaching children aged 11 to 18.
Is River Academy full?: River Academy has capacity for 1,200 pupils and 373 on roll (31%), so it has space against its published capacity. Places are allocated through the local authority's admissions process, so capacity alone does not tell you whether a place is available.
Is River Academy a faith school?: No. River Academy has no designated religious character.
Is River Academy a selective school?: No. River Academy is recorded as non-selective in the schools register.
Who runs River Academy?: River Academy is part of MAIDEN ERLEGH TRUST. Schools in a trust or federation share leadership and governance, but each keeps its own inspection record and results.
What SEN provision does River Academy have?: The schools register lists River Academy's special educational needs provision as: MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty. Contact the school to discuss how it would support a particular child.
What is River Academy's absence rate?: River Academy's overall absence rate is 5.1% in the latest published census.
Does River Academy publish exam results?: OfferDay shows exam results for a school only where the Department for Education has published them, and none are shown for River Academy. That is usual for infant, nursery, special and independent schools, and for schools without recent published results.

School details come from the Department for Education's Get Information About Schools register. Inspection outcomes come from Ofsted, and exam results from the Department for Education's school performance service. This page was last updated on 10 July 2026.