For parents and guardians: Please verify all school data — cut-off scores, applicant numbers and competition ratios — against official sources (school websites, local authority admissions data) before making any decisions. The figures on this page are researched but not guaranteed and change each admissions cycle.
Complete 2025/26 11+ Guide to Grammar Schools in Berkshire (Reading, Windsor & Maidenhead)
Berkshire (Reading, Windsor & Maidenhead) is home to 2 fully selective grammar schools and 0 partially selective schools. This guide covers every school — admissions criteria, competition data, cut-off scores, GCSE results, and specific prep advice — so you can make an informed decision.
How the Berkshire (Reading, Windsor & Maidenhead) 11+ works
Reading School: four-paper KS2-curriculum test (Adventure, Beacon, Compass, Discovery papers) set by Future Stories (FSCE) — covers Maths, English, Science, Computing, Geography, History and other KS2 subjects up to Year 5 standard, plus a Creativity paper; no VR/NVR. Kendrick School: two one-hour GL Assessment multiple-choice papers covering English, Mathematics, Verbal Reasoning and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Schools operate completely independent exams; there is no Berkshire consortium.
Reading School moved to a new four-paper FSCE format from September 2025 (for 2026 entry). Previously (2021–2024) it used a three-paper FSCE format (English, Maths, Creative Writing). Kendrick School continues to use the GL Assessment two-paper format unchanged. Berkshire has no single grammar consortium — each school runs its own registration and testing process. Parents must register separately for each school. Note: Windsor Boys' School and Windsor Girls' School (windsorgirls.net) are both non-selective comprehensives. Maiden Erlegh School, Waingels College and St Crispin's School are all fully non-selective. Ranelagh School is a non-selective Church of England faith school. This guide covers the two fully selective state grammar schools in Berkshire.
Key dates
Who can apply?
Reading School: any boy in Year 6 (born 1 September 2015 – 31 August 2016 for 2027 entry). Must register separately with the school during the registration window (March–May 2026). No catchment requirement to sit the exam, but catchment strongly affects oversubscription priority.
Kendrick School: any girl in Year 6 within the designated area (Priority Areas 1 & 2 by postcode). Must register separately with Kendrick between May and July 2026. Girls outside the designated area are strongly advised NOT to apply — no out-of-area candidate has been offered a place since the designated area was introduced in 2013.
Both schools: candidates must also submit a Common Application Form (CAF) to their home local authority by 31 October naming the school as a preference.
Both schools: candidates with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) naming the school are admitted automatically in line with their statutory entitlement.
Pupil Premium / Service Premium students in the Kendrick designated area qualify for a lower qualifying score threshold (5 points below the standard threshold).
Admissions process
Register directly with Reading School (online, March–May) or Kendrick School (online, May–July). This is separate from and prior to the Local Authority application. Failure to register on time disqualifies the application.
Reading School: four-paper KS2 curriculum test (July for in-catchment/boarding; September for out-of-catchment). Kendrick School: two one-hour GL Assessment papers (September). Results issued mid-October for both schools.
Results indicate whether a candidate has reached the eligible standard (Reading School) or qualifying score (Kendrick School: normally 100.00 aggregate standardised score). Parents then name the school on their LA Common Application Form by 31 October. For Reading School, achieving the eligible score does not guarantee a place — oversubscription criteria then apply. For Kendrick, qualifying candidates in the designated area are ranked by score; out-of-area candidates are not offered places.
Reading School: priority order — (1) EHCP naming the school; (2) looked-after/previously looked-after children; (3) boys from 75 named feeder primary schools; (4) boys from 13 priority Reading postcodes; (5) all other eligible boys ranked by score. Sporting Aptitude places (10% of PAN) require passing a separate sports assessment in addition to the academic test. Kendrick: priority order — (1) EHCP; (2) LAC/previously LAC; (3) Pupil Premium/Service Premium in designated area scoring ≥95.00; (4) Priority Area 1 candidates scoring ≥100.00 (up to 96 places); (5) Priority Area 2 candidates scoring ≥100.00; (6) Priority Area 1 candidates (32 remaining places); (7) Priority Area 2 candidates; (8) out-of-area (effectively never offered places).
Offers issued via home LA on 2 March 2027. Waiting lists then operate. Reading School does not publish cut-off scores; Kendrick publishes the qualifying score and waiting list data.
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Disclaimer: Data from official school and LA sources (Reading School website, Kendrick School website, Bracknell Forest Council, reading-school.co.uk admissions policy PDFs, kendrick.reading.sch.uk admissions PDFs, Ofsted reports.ofsted.gov.uk, DfE compare.education.gov.uk, Sunday Times Parent Power 2023–2026). Applicant/cut-off figures for Kendrick from parent-reported collations of FOI responses published on elevenplusexams.co.uk and the school's own FAQ documents. Progress 8 and Attainment 8 from DfE KS4 performance data (most recent: 2023-24; Progress 8 not published for 2024-25 or 2025-26 due to COVID KS2 data gap). Verify all dates, PANs and policies at reading-school.co.uk and kendrick.reading.sch.uk before acting. Data compiled March–April 2026. Always verify figures on the school or local authority website before making decisions — data changes each admissions cycle. Last updated: 2026-04-04. We aim to refresh this guide every year after new DfE data is published (typically June/July).