School profile Verified 18 August 2026

Reading Private schools

St Joseph's College

Upper Redlands Road, Reading, RG1 5JT

St Joseph's College is a private secondary-stage school in Reading, Reading, with a published age range of 3-18.

Private school Co-ed Ages 3-18 Sixth form No boarders
Application ?
Apply direct to school
Age range
3-18
ISI ?
Standards met
Boarding ?
No boarders
Compare Official website Map

At a glance

Key facts

Sector
Private school
Gender
Mixed
Application ?
Apply direct to school
Age range
3-18
Boarding ?
No boarders
Route check
Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.
ISI ?
Standards met

Overview

St Joseph's College Reading began in 1894 when four sisters from Normandy opened the College, and the community moved to Broad Oak House in 1910. The Prep School later occupied the former orchard, co-education arrived in 2010, and Catholic and Lasallian tradition remained central to the five Cs of commitment, collaboration, confidence, compassion and communication.

The historic route ran from early learning through Prep and Senior School to Sixth Form. Academic study shared the week with four co-curricular strands: the Arts; Sport and Outdoor Education; STEM; and HaLE, covering humanities and language enrichment. Together they gave the Reading College a recognisable balance of study, activity and community life.

Senior entry included an online skills assessment covering verbal and non-verbal reasoning and descriptive writing, followed by an interview, report and reference. Those details describe the historical admissions route and should not be used as a current application pathway.

The College closed at the end of term on 10 July 2026 after the Board of Governors could not secure a sustainable way to keep it open. This is therefore a closed historical profile: the former Reading community, its legacy and its provision can be understood here, but no current admissions or operating school should be inferred.

Key points

Assessment route
Applications are made directly to the school. Check the school's own admissions pages for registration dates, entrance assessment stages, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.
Places and demand
Published Year 7 place numbers and applicant-per-place data are not included in GIAS for this private-school seed profile.
Catchment
Private-school eligibility is not controlled by the local-authority grammar catchment model; check boarding, day-pupil, transport and any sibling or faith rules on the school site.
Results
0% grade 5+ in English and maths and 52.4 Attainment 8
Sixth form
Sixth form available with 23.8% AAB or better.

GCSE benchmark

Latest 2024/25 KS4 measures compared with Reading and England.

School Local authority England
GCSE benchmark comparison Latest GCSE benchmark measures for St Joseph's College, Reading, and England. 0 50 100 Att. 8 5+ E&M EBacc APS EBacc %
Attainment 8
52.4
Grade 5+ English and maths
0%
EBacc APS
4.88
EBacc entry
0%

Attainment 8 trend

Recent published Attainment 8 scores compared with Reading and England.

School Local authority England
Attainment 8 trend line Attainment 8 over time for St Joseph's College, Reading, and England. 60 55 50 45 21/22 22/23 23/24 24/25

School details

Sector
Private school
School type
Other independent school
Funding
Independent fee-paying
Application
Apply direct to school
Gender
Mixed
Age range
3-18
Headteacher
Mrs Laura Stotesbury
Pupil roll
523 pupils
Sixth form
Yes

Location and contact

Address

Address
Upper Redlands Road, Reading, Berkshire
Postcode
RG1 5JT

School leadership

Headteacher
Mrs Laura Stotesbury

School contact

School phone
01189661000

Admissions contact

Admissions team
Admissions
Admissions email
admissions@sjcr.org.uk
Admissions phone
01189661000

Admissions

Application route
Apply direct to school
Age range
3-18
Gender
Mixed
Boarding
No boarders
Day fees
Check school fees page
Scholarships and bursaries
Check school site
Entrance details
Entrance assessment details are not part of the GIAS open data extract.
Admissions note
GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.

GIAS confirms the school type and age range; fees, scholarships, bursaries and entrance assessments should be checked on the school's own website.

Independent schools do not use the local-authority grammar-school catchment model; check the school site for boarding, transport and eligibility rules.

Oversubscription and eligibility

Use the official admissions policy for the current priority order and eligibility rules.

Exam and test format

Entrance route and assessment

Entrance assessment details are not part of the GIAS open data extract.

Assessment route
Apply direct to school

Application

How to apply

  1. 1

    Apply direct to the school

    Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.

    Check school admissions

Results

Attainment snapshot

Attainment 8 ?
52.4 Attainment 8
GCSE results
0% grade 4+ in English and maths
Grade 5+ English and maths ?
0% grade 5+ in English and maths
EBacc average point score ?
4.88 EBacc APS
A-level results
23.8% AAB or better
A-level average points
40.84 A-level points per entry

Inspection

Standards met

Latest inspection: 25 November 2025

Leadership, management and governance
Standards met
Quality of education, training and recreation
Standards met
Physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing
Standards met
Social and economic education and contribution to society
Standards met
Safeguarding
Standards met

Quick summary

  • Latest ISI report: Latest verified ISI inspection report records an inspection beginning 25 November 2025. The report says the relevant standards were met.

Similar schools and comparisons

Nearby schools families also consider

Local rivals appear first, followed by nearby alternatives where the journey and admissions route are still comparable.

Nearby schools with similar results

Closest comparable alternatives with a similar academic profile, so parents can weigh local fit and results together.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How does St Joseph's College handle admissions?

St Joseph's College handles applications directly. Check the school website for registration dates, entrance assessments, interviews, fees, scholarships and bursaries.

How do I apply to St Joseph's College?

1. Apply direct to the school: Independent-school admissions are handled by the school rather than the local authority CAF.

When are the key dates for St Joseph's College?

Use the school admissions page to confirm registration, assessment, interview and offer dates.

What does the latest inspection picture look like for St Joseph's College?

St Joseph's College is currently rated Standards met following the latest published inspection dated 25 November 2025.