Thames Valley School
Reading, United Kingdom
About Thames Valley School
Our School
Thames Valley School in Reading is an Autism Specific Specialist Free School, providing education to 54 children and young people aged 4 to 16. The school helps autistic students build on their strengths, learning, confidence and enjoyment. Our aim is to respond to the needs of each of our students, helping them to grow in confidence and achieve.
We are committed to nurturing the potential of every student, and to creating a supportive environment where each one can thrive. In small classes, our specially trained staff help students to develop socially, personally, emotionally and academically. We offer a broad and balanced curriculum, covering all the traditional subjects, alongside music, art and sport, enrichment and activities.
The school was opened in 2013, with inclusion and community engagement at its core. An Ofsted inspection in April 2024 rated the school as Good (following a previous assessment of Requires Improvement), which underlines the progress of our improvement journey, though we need to continue to embed practice. We are currently making plans to establish a satellite provision on the grounds of nearby Ridgeway Primary School.
Our Trust
The Liberty Academy Trust is an education charity established in 2022. Our vision is to create a world that works for autistic children and young people, by providing an exceptional educational offer so that they achieve success now and are well-prepared for adulthood. We work towards this vision through our core values of courage, determination and teamwork.
We are currently a small Trust of three academies, but we have plans to grow so that our reach and impact can extend further. Committed to providing an excellent education for autistic children and young people, our approach is to support the whole child, offering a balance of personalised teaching and therapeutic support as standard.
Location
Staff love to work at this school. They are motivated by school leaders but also by the vision of the trust. They are respected and valued members of the school community and actively play a role in shaping the future of the school.
- Ofsted Inspection Report, April 2024