We are incredibly proud to have opened this exciting new secondary school benefiting from a multi-million pound building programme and state-of-the-art facilities. Our school, which opened its doors for the first time in September 2024, provides a fantastic and enriching environment for teaching and learning, student care and support; a place for students to thrive and succeed.  

When full, River Academy will cater for 1200 students between the ages of 11 and 18, of all abilities and backgrounds. Maiden Erlegh Trust has a strong track record of running high-achieving, inclusive and vibrant schools and supporting talented and highly qualified education professionals at all stages of their career. River Academy joins a community of schools ranging from primary to Sixth Form, and from mainstream to special and alternative provision. The school and its students benefit from this wealth of experience, skill and enthusiasm, whilst at the same time carving out its own unique identity.

The ethos of River Academy is firmly focused on supporting young people to develop the personal attributes needed to be a successful citizen in today’s modern world. We strive to support every student to believe in the value of community and respect, to develop the desire to excel, to foster the ability for empathy and always be determined to improve and progress. In order to support every student to exhibit these characteristics, we have high expectations of them – both in terms of their studies and as individuals. We provide students with opportunities to improve, to grow and to discover and we expect them to seize every opportunity presented to them and we look forward to enjoying the support and backing of parents as their reinforcement of our values and high standards play an essential role in our students’ development, progress and success.

Students follow an ambitious and innovative curriculum which provides high quality academic and technical courses so that students can reach their full potential, but also work towards realising their aspirations. A distinguishing feature of the school is its combination of an academic curriculum combined with a targeted vocational approach focusing on high quality applied qualifications linked to enterprise, digital and creative media. 

Whatever their aspirations, all students benefit from a rich careers and employability thread running through the whole curriculum, supported by a range of business partners, in addition to a personal development programme including applied literacy and numeracy, rich cultural awareness, leadership and team-working skills, and critical thinking and listening. As part of Maiden Erlegh Trust, we will use their significant experience in preparing students, where appropriate, for university study, including supporting applications to the most prestigious institutions.

We look forward to working with our school community to create this inspirational school together.

Mr Andrew Hartley, Headteacher