Reading Grammar School Directory
Reading Grammar SchoolsComplete 11 Plus Guide.
Complete list of all grammar and selective schools in Reading, Berkshire. School details, 11 Plus test information, addresses, entry requirements, and preparation advice for each school's independent entrance exam.
3
Selective Schools
320
Year 7 Places
3
Different Tests
No
Consortium
About the Reading 11+
Three Schools, Three Tests
Reading has 2 fully selective grammar schools — Reading School (boys) and Kendrick School (girls) — plus Reading Girls' School, a bilateral academy with 42 selective stream places. Unlike many grammar school areas, there is no consortium in Reading. Each school runs its own independent entrance exam with a different test provider.
Reading School uses a bespoke FSCE test with four papers covering the broad KS2 curriculum. Kendrick School uses GL Assessment with two papers covering VR, NVR, English, and Maths. Reading Girls' School uses CEM Select for its selective stream. Families wishing to apply to more than one school must register and sit each exam separately.
Exam Board
No Consortium
- 3 Selective Schools
- 320 Year 7 Places
- 3 Different Tests
2027 entry · verified August 2026
Reading key dates — Kendrick and Reading School
Reading's two selective schools test separately, on very different timetables. Reading School's test falls in July, before the summer holidays — the earliest sitting of any school in this guide.
Kendrick registration
1 Apr – 5 Jun 2026
Closes 5 June.
Kendrick test
5 Sept 2026
Start of the autumn term.
Reading School registration
1 May – 1 Jul 2026
Closes 1 July.
Reading School test
16 Jul 2026
Before the summer holidays — check this date first if you are applying.
Apply by
31 Oct 2026
National deadline.
Pass mark
Not published
Each school sets its own standard, and it moves with the cohort.
School Directory
All Reading Grammar Schools
Every selective and partially selective school in Reading, Berkshire. Includes addresses, Year 7 intake numbers, test details, and key admissions information for 11 Plus families.
Central Reading
2 SchoolsReading School
One of England's oldest schools, with roots dating back to 1125. Reading School is a highly selective boys' grammar school and academy with state boarding provision. It uses a bespoke FSCE entrance test with four papers: Adventure (multiple-choice KS2 subjects), Beacon (short written responses), Compass (multiple-choice), and Discovery (creative task). Papers cover Art, Computing, D&T, English, Geography, History, Languages, Maths, Music, PE, and Science. Up to 15 places are reserved for boys demonstrating sporting aptitude. Approximately 75% of pupils come from outside Reading borough. Co-educational sixth form.
- Address
- Erleigh Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 5LW
- Year 7 Places
- 150 (138 day + 12 boarding)
- Test
- FSCE — 4 papers (broad KS2 curriculum)
Kendrick School
Founded in 1877 under the will of Reading cloth merchant John Kendrick, this highly selective girls' grammar school is now an academy. Uses GL Assessment with two one-hour multiple-choice papers, each covering Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, English, and Maths. The school provides 10 hours of free familiarisation materials for candidates. Qualifying standardised total score for recent entry was 100.00 (95.00 for Pupil Premium). Of the 128 places, 96 are allocated to Priority Areas 1 and 2 (Reading and surrounding postcodes) and 32 to pupils from further afield. Co-educational sixth form.
- Address
- London Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 5BN
- Year 7 Places
- 128 places
- Test
- GL Assessment — 2 papers (VR, NVR, English, Maths)
South Reading
1 SchoolReading Girls' School
A bilateral academy offering both selective and non-selective streams. Of its 180 Year 7 places, up to 42 are allocated through the selective academic stream based on CEM Select online test results (Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning). The remaining 138 places are non-selective and allocated based on standard oversubscription criteria including siblings, feeder school attendance, and distance. While not a full grammar school, the selective stream provides a grammar-standard academic pathway for girls in the Reading area.
- Address
- Northumberland Avenue, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 7PY
- Year 7 Places
- 42 selective (of 180 total)
- Test
- CEM Select — online (VR, NVR)
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FAQs
Reading 11 Plus Questions
No. Unlike many grammar school areas, Reading does not operate a consortium. Each school — Reading School, Kendrick School, and Reading Girls' School — runs its own independent entrance exam with a different test provider (FSCE, GL Assessment, and CEM Select respectively). Families wishing to apply to multiple schools must register for and sit each exam separately.
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