Kendrick School vs Reading School
Both are grammar schools in Reading, 0.5 miles apart. Side-by-side on official DfE, Ofsted and council admissions data.
Side by side
| Kendrick School | Reading School | |
|---|---|---|
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary |
| Gender | Girls | Boys |
| Pupils on roll | 939 | 1,138 |
| Free school meals | 10.6% | 4.7% |
| Ofsted rating | Outstanding | Outstanding |
| Attainment 8 — 2025/26 | 82.4 | 80.6 |
| 11+ test board | GL Assessment (switched from CEM in 2023) | GL Assessment (switched from CEM in 2023) |
| Admission system | pass/fail then criteria order | pass/fail then criteria order |
| Places offered — 202627 | 127 | 146 |
| First preferences per place — higher means more competition for a first-preference place | 2.76 | 2.74 |
Qualifying scores
Kendrick School
Kendrick School does not publish its qualifying score. Eligible status is confirmed in October after the test. No numerical threshold is released publicly.
Reading School
Reading School does not publish its eligible score. The school states: 'The eligible score varies from year to year, and therefore comparisons to previous years are inappropriate.' Families are told only whether their child is 'of the standard' (eligible) — no numerical score is released. There is no published qualifying score to quote.
Who gets priority
Where a school is oversubscribed, these are the first criteria applied, in order. This is usually what decides an application.
Kendrick School
- Looked after child or previously looked after child (lower qualifying score, 5 marks below standard threshold)
- In receipt of Pupil/Service Premium on 31 Aug, permanent home address within Priority Area 1 or 2 (lower qualifying score)
- Up to 75% of places (96 of 128): permanent home address within Priority Area 1 or 2, by rank order of score
- Remaining 25% (32 places), tranche 1: permanent home address within Priority Area 1, by rank order
- Remaining 25% (32 places), tranche 2: permanent home address within Priority Area 2, by rank order
- Applicants whose permanent home address is NOT in the designated area (Priority Area 1 or 2), by rank order
Source: school admissions policy.
Reading School
- Category 1: (Previously) Looked After Children, with a score up to 5 marks below the eligible score
- Category 2: Pupil or Service Premium children living within the catchment area, score up to 5 marks below eligible score
- Category 3: Children within the catchment area with a demonstrated significant social or welfare need (written professional evidence required)
- Category 4: Up to 15 places for children (living in catchment, or registered for boarding) who pass the eligible score and exceed the Sporting Aptitude threshold, ranked by Sporting Aptitude…
- Category 5: Children whose permanent home address is within the catchment area
- Category 6: Children whose permanent home address is NOT within the catchment area
Source: school admissions policy.
Choosing between them
Kendrick School is a girls school and Reading School is a boys school, so for many families the starting point is which one can admit their child. The figures on this page are the published ones — they describe intakes and results, not what either school would be like for your child. The right choice depends on your family's own priorities and circumstances.
Other Reading comparisons
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