A selective boys grammar school in Reading, Berkshire, serving ages 11-18 with a sixth form and around 1,129 pupils on roll.
Reading School
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At a glance
Reading School is a selective boys' day and boarding grammar school in Berkshire, educating about 1,129 pupils from 11 to 18. Few state schools have a history as deep: the school traces its foundation to 1125 and marked its 900th anniversary with the same emphasis it places on modern school life - scholarship, service and social impact.
The official values are excellence, integrity, leadership and community, and they sit inside the school's distinctive curriculum language, The Reading Way. The aim is not just examination success, though the outcomes are very strong, but a broader formation through intellectual, sporting, artistic and cultural life. Public outcomes are strong: Outstanding Ofsted, 100% grade 5+ in English and maths, and 62.9% AAB or better at A level.
Boarding makes Reading different from most grammar schools. Weekly and sixth-form boarding give students access to boarding houses, senior kitchens, common rooms and wider site facilities, while school life also includes music, drama, sport, student leadership and enrichment. The sixth form takes a substantial number of new students, so Year 12 is not simply a continuation of the lower school.
Year 7 entry has 138 places and uses English and mathematics assessment with age-standardised scoring. Families also need to pay close attention to the school's designated-area and admissions-policy evidence, because sitting the entrance process is only one part of the application. The latest applications record lists 448 applications and 146 offers, making the published admissions details important in practice.
Creative writing is tested in this school's current 11+ assessment.
A weak creative writing piece can leave a child short of qualification. 11 Plus Writing Coach helps families build steadier practice and clearer feedback.
From our 11 Plus Writing Coach site
Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Reading and England.
Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Reading and England.
Latest 2024/25 Year 11 destination mix compared with Reading and England.
January 2025 school census
Whole-school roll of 1,129 pupils; 1,125 had a recorded ethnic group.
| Recorded group | Share | Category | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian | 45% | Asian | 508 |
| White British | 15.3% | White | 173 |
| Chinese | 8% | Asian | 90 |
| Pakistani | 6.2% | Asian | 70 |
| Any other Asian background | 5.3% | Asian | 60 |
| Any other mixed background | 4.5% | Mixed | 51 |
| White and Asian | 4.5% | Mixed | 51 |
| Any other White background | 4.3% | White | 49 |
| African | 3.1% | Black | 35 |
| Any other ethnic group | 1.9% | Other | 21 |
| Bangladeshi | 0.6% | Asian | 7 |
| Unclassified | 0.4% | Unclassified | 4 |
| White and Black Caribbean | 0.3% | Mixed | 3 |
| Any other Black background | 0.2% | Black | 2 |
| Caribbean | 0.2% | Black | 2 |
| White and Black African | 0.2% | Mixed | 2 |
| Irish | 0.1% | White | 1 |
An eligible score does not guarantee an offer. Day places are allocated through the published oversubscription criteria, including catchment, premium, social/welfare and sporting-aptitude routes.
Catchment is used as an oversubscription priority for day places. Eligible day applicants living in the published postcode catchment are considered before eligible non-catchment day applicants, after the higher-priority care, premium, social/welfare and sporting-aptitude categories.
Looked-after and previously looked-after children
Day applicants in care, previously in care, or previously in care outside England can be considered with a score up to 5 marks below the eligible score.
Pupil or Service Premium within catchment
Eligible Pupil Premium or Service Premium day applicants living within the catchment area can be considered with a score up to 5 marks below the eligible score.
Social or welfare need
Applicants with an approved social or welfare need are prioritised under the published day-applicant criteria.
Sporting aptitude
Up to 15 places are available for applicants who meet the sporting aptitude threshold and live within the catchment area or apply for boarding, ranked by sporting aptitude performance.
Catchment applicants
Remaining eligible day applicants whose permanent home address is within the catchment area are prioritised before non-catchment day applicants.
Non-catchment applicants
Eligible day applicants whose permanent home address is outside the catchment area are considered after catchment applicants.
The Year 7 entrance process ranks candidates using weighted total scores across English, mathematics, foundation subjects and creativity, with results then considered under the day or boarding oversubscription criteria.
Paper 1
English
English assessment
English component contributing to the eligible score.
Paper 2
Maths
Mathematics assessment
Mathematics component contributing to the eligible score.
Paper 3
Other
Foundation subjects assessment
Foundation-subject component contributing to the eligible score.
Paper 4
Writing task
Creativity paper
Creativity paper assessed through comparative judgement and age-standardised as part of the selection process.
English and Maths are included in the published format.
Verbal reasoning, Non-verbal reasoning and Science are not listed in the current published format.
English
Maths
Verbal reasoning
Non-verbal reasoning
Science
Registration opens
1 April 2025
PastRegistration closes
midday on 13 June 2025
PastSecondary application deadline
31 October 2025
PastNational Offer Day
2 March 2026
PastRead the Year 7 information
Check the Year 7 entry information before registering so designated-area evidence, testing, and application steps are clear.
Open admissions informationRegister for the entrance process
For September 2026 entry, registration opened on 1 April 2025 and closed at midday on 13 June 2025.
Open admissions informationComplete the entrance process
Entrance arrangements run through the autumn entry timetable; allocated sessions and any aptitude assessments follow the admissions information.
Open admissions pageSubmit the Common Application Form
For September 2026 entry, the CAF deadline was 31 October 2025 and National Offer Day was 2 March 2026.
Open admissions informationLatest official destinations data currently covers 2022/23 study leavers.
Recent trend
This follows the school's published overall GCSE score across the subjects pupils take. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 82.6 | 74.2 | 49.4 |
| 2022/23 | 82.2 | 71.8 | 47.0 |
| 2023/24 | 81.1 | 72.1 | 46.7 |
| 2024/25 | 83 | 72.3 | 46.8 |
Recent trend
This follows the published average A-level result for the school's sixth form. Higher is better.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | A+ average (51.9 points) | 44.0 points | 37.5 points |
| 2022/23 | A average (49.6 points) | 40.5 points | 33.7 points |
| 2023/24 | A average (49.1 points) | 41.3 points | 34.5 points |
| 2024/25 | A average (49.0 points) | 41.8 points | 35.0 points |
Recent trend
This follows the share of pupils moving into a sustained destination after Year 11, such as education, apprenticeships, or employment.
| Year | This school | Grammar schools | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021/22 | 100% | 99.1% | 94.1% |
| 2022/23 | 100% | 98.9% | 93.9% |
| 2023/24 | 99% | 99.0% | 93.3% |
| 2024/25 | 99% | 98.7% | 91.8% |
Latest year breakdown
| In education | 99% |
|---|---|
| In apprenticeships | 1% |
| In employment | 0% |
Latest inspection: 21 November 2023
Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.
Nearby option within a reasonable travel distance
Same wider selective region with a comparable travel distance
Same wider selective region with a comparable travel distance
Same wider selective region with a comparable travel distance
Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
Similar Attainment 8 and Progress 8
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Best Boys' Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best boys grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking parents can filter by county and Ofsted before comparing schools by route and journey.
Best Grammar Schools in the UK
Explore the best grammar schools in the UK with a national ranking that can be filtered by county, school type, and Ofsted before moving into local admissions detail.
Best Grammar Schools by A-level Results
Explore the best grammar schools by A-level results in the UK, ranked by the published share of students achieving AAB or better at A level.
FAQ
Reading School currently uses FSCE.
1. Read the Year 7 information: Check the Year 7 entry information before registering so designated-area evidence, testing, and application steps are clear. 2. Register for the entrance process: For September 2026 entry, registration opened on 1 April 2025 and closed at midday on 13 June 2025. 3. Complete the entrance process: Entrance arrangements run through the autumn entry timetable; allocated sessions and any aptitude assessments follow the admissions information. 4. Submit the Common Application Form: For September 2026 entry, the CAF deadline was 31 October 2025 and National Offer Day was 2 March 2026.
Registration opens: 1 April 2025. Registration closes: midday on 13 June 2025. Secondary application deadline: 31 October 2025. National Offer Day: 2 March 2026
Reading School is currently rated Outstanding following the latest published inspection dated 21 November 2023.