Sir John Madejski has spoken out on ‘unfortunate’ plans to change the name of a Reading school named after him.
The John Madejski Academy – named after the businessman and former Reading FC owner who donated £3m towards its opening in 2010 – is set to become Hartland High School from September.
Now Sir John has said the money ‘could have been spent better’ investing in more teachers rather than changing the name of the school.
This decision comes after it was rated inadequate by Ofsted in 2023 and served a termination warning notice, external by the Department for Education.
Greenshaw Learning Trust (GLT), which took over the secondary school on Hartland Road in January, said the renaming marked a “significant and symbolic step forward in the journey of ongoing school improvement”.
Now, the football legend has spoken about the planned change after a petition signed by more than 1,000 people opposed it.
Sir John told BBC Berkshire the school was ‘obviously my greatest achievement of my life’.
He said: “Obviously it’s not about me it’s about the school and about the kids however having said that I really think the money could’ve been spent better on education, they probably could have afforded another teacher or two instead of spending all this money on changing this.
“So to change the name I think that’s unfortunate.”
He described how he was invited by the Prime Minister at the time, Tony Blair, to take part in an initiative to open schools in ‘inner city challenging areas’.
Sir John was invited to open a school in East London but he said ‘the only place I’ll be doing one is in Reading’.
“It’s the best thing I’ve ever done,” he continued, “because despite Ofsted the school has had enormous success.
“I wish Greenshaw Learning Trust every success with the school, because I think they’re pretty good.”
The trust said the new name reflects ‘a shared vision and ambition to build a brighter, bolder future’ for staff, students and the wider community, the trust added.
The trust said the decision follows a community-wide consultation and vote, which involved staff, parents, carers, governors and members of the wider community.
Jonathan Heap, headteacher, and Dean Ackland, head of school at JMA, said: “We are delighted to unveil the new name for our school. Hartland High School represents a fresh start and a renewed commitment to excellence, inclusivity and opportunity.
“This change is more than just a new name – it’s a statement of who we are and where we are going.”
The name change for JMA will come into effect from September 2025.
