Reading has two outstanding grammar schools — Reading School (boys, founded 1125, one of the oldest schools in England) and Kendrick School (girls). Both are non-fee-paying, state selective schools that regularly feature in England's top 10 for GCSE and A-level results, and both draw applications from across Berkshire and neighbouring counties. If your child is aiming for either, this guide walks you through the test, the qualifying score, catchment and distance rules, the timeline and a sensible preparation plan — all pointing to Quest Arena's free mock papers and worksheets so practice costs you nothing.
The two schools at a glance
Reading School and Kendrick sit at the top of the Berkshire selective landscape and share the same entrance test, but they admit boys and girls separately. Reading School has a boarding element alongside its day places, while Kendrick is day-only. Both are heavily oversubscribed, so simply reaching the qualifying mark does not guarantee a place — how far you live from the school matters just as much.
| Feature | Reading School | Kendrick School |
|---|---|---|
| Intake | Boys | Girls |
| Entry year | Year 7 (11+) | Year 7 (11+) |
| Test group | Slough & Reading consortium | Slough & Reading consortium |
| Main tie-break | Distance from school | Distance from school |
| Places | Day and boarding | Day only |
Test format
Both schools use the same consortium test, sat in early September at the start of Year 6. It is a GL-style, tightly timed assessment split across two papers, each combining subjects:
- Paper 1 — English and Verbal Reasoning combined, roughly 60 minutes.
- Paper 2 — Maths and Non-Verbal Reasoning combined, roughly 60 minutes.
Because English and Verbal Reasoning share a paper, the English demands feel long relative to some single-subject 11+ formats: expect a comprehension passage, vocabulary and reasoning questions all under real time pressure. Answers are typically multiple choice with a minute or less per question, so pace and accuracy matter as much as knowledge. Our GL-style paper guide explains how the multiple-choice answer sheet and standardised marking work.
Qualifying score and how ranking works
Both Reading School and Kendrick set a qualifying (or "pass") threshold on a standardised, age-adjusted score. As a rough guide this sits in the region of 121, but the exact figure moves year to year with the cohort, and each school publishes its own confirmed number in its admissions arrangements — always check the current-year document rather than relying on last year's mark. Standardised scores are age-adjusted, so a summer-born child is not penalised for being younger; a score of 100 is the national average and the qualifying bar sits well above it.
Crucially, meeting the threshold only makes a child eligible. Because far more pupils qualify than there are places, the schools then rank qualified applicants — chiefly by distance from the school, alongside any priority categories (looked-after children, some catchment or sibling considerations). Reading School ranks day applicants largely on straight-line distance; Kendrick applies a similar distance tie-break. In practice this means a strong score plus a nearby home address is the winning combination.
Catchment and distance
Neither school has a huge guaranteed catchment, so proximity is decisive. Reading School's day places effectively fill from within a few miles of the site, though its boarding provision widens access for families further afield. Kendrick has historically admitted from a broad area, but the distance cut-off still tightens sharply in oversubscribed years. Before you commit to the process, look up the most recent admitted-distance data in each school's published admissions information and be realistic about where your home sits relative to other applicants. Our grammar school directory collects the key details for Berkshire and beyond in one place.
Key dates and timeline
The Reading/Slough consortium runs on an early timetable, so preparation needs to peak in the summer before Year 6, not the autumn term you might expect.
- Late spring / early summer (Year 5): registration for the test opens — diarise the deadline, as late entries are not accepted.
- Early September (start of Year 6): the test is sat.
- October (Year 6): results issued to families ahead of the secondary application deadline.
- 31 October: the national secondary school application deadline — list your preferences here.
- 1 March (Year 6): National Offer Day.
Exact dates shift each year, so confirm them against each school and our 11+ key dates page.
How to prepare
The combined-paper format rewards children who are both quick and calm. A structured, free plan looks like this:
- Build the four skill areas early — English, Maths, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning — using Quest Arena's free worksheets across Year 5.
- Train for the clock. Sit full-length timed papers so a minute-a-question pace becomes automatic; browse the mock library for Reading/Kendrick-style consortium mocks.
- Rehearse the real conditions. Use centre-specific mocks to practise the exact two-paper, combined-subject structure under exam-day pressure.
- Understand the whole journey. Read our 11+ process guide so you and your child know what the results and ranking actually mean.
Above all, protect your child's confidence: consistent short sessions beat last-minute cramming, and a nearby address plus a solid, well-above-average score is the realistic route to an offer.
Frequently asked questions
Do Reading School and Kendrick use the same test?
Yes. Both are part of the Slough & Reading consortium and use the same two-paper, GL-style test sat in early September of Year 6. The difference is that Reading admits boys and Kendrick admits girls, each ranking qualified applicants by distance.
What score does my child need to pass?
The qualifying score is a standardised, age-adjusted figure in the region of 121, but it varies by year and each school confirms its own threshold. Reaching it makes a child eligible; distance from the school then decides who actually receives an offer.
When is the test and when should we start preparing?
The test is sat at the very start of Year 6, in early September, with registration opening in the summer term of Year 5. Because the test comes so early, aim to have the core skills solid by the summer holiday before Year 6 and use timed mocks through that summer.