About Berkshire Grammar Schools
Berkshire’s best-known grammar schools are in Reading: Reading School (boys) and Kendrick School (girls), both highly selective. They are separate admissions authorities (not a consortium), so you register with each school individually and your child sits each school’s own test.
For September 2027 entry, Reading School tests in-catchment and boarding applicants in July 2026 and out-of-catchment day applicants in late September 2026; Kendrick School tests on 18 September 2026. Registration for both opens around 1 May 2026 (closing late June/early July). Results are released in mid-October.
After results, list the school(s) on your home authority’s Common Application Form by 31 October; offers are issued on National Offer Day (1 March). Both schools are heavily oversubscribed and apply catchment / priority-area criteria, so meeting the standard does not guarantee a place.
Berkshire Grammar Schools
Reading’s two grammar schools each run their own entrance test. Click a school for its detailed admission guide, test format, catchment and key dates:
Reading School (boys) and Kendrick School (girls) are separate admissions authorities and use different tests, so you must register with each separately. Both apply priority-area / catchment criteria, and scores are not shared with the Slough Consortium.
About the Reading 11+
Reading’s grammar schools use different tests and different providers. Reading School uses papers from Future Stories Community Enterprise (FSCE); Kendrick School uses GL Assessment. There is no shared Reading test, and no score-sharing with Slough.
Reading School (boys): a multi-paper test based on the Key Stage 2 curriculum. In-catchment and boarding applicants sit in July; out-of-catchment day applicants sit in late September. The school publishes an ‘eligible standard’ rather than a fixed cut-off, and is heavily oversubscribed.
Kendrick School (girls): two one-hour multiple-choice papers covering English, Mathematics, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning, sat in mid-September. Scores are age-standardised and ranked; there is a designated priority area, and out-of-area candidates are very rarely offered places.
Year 7 Admissions Guide for Berkshire Grammar Schools
Reading’s grammar schools run separate admissions: register with each school individually via its website (registration opens around 1 May 2026, closing late June/early July). Reading School tests in-catchment/boarding applicants in July and out-of-catchment day applicants in late September; Kendrick School tests on 18 September 2026. Results arrive in mid-October; you then list the school(s) on your home authority’s Common Application Form by 31 October, with offers on National Offer Day (1 March). Both schools apply priority-area / catchment criteria and are heavily oversubscribed, so meeting the standard does not guarantee a place. Scores are not shared with the Slough Consortium.
What the Tests Cover
Reading School uses a Key Stage 2-based, multi-paper FSCE test; Kendrick School uses two one-hour GL papers covering English, Mathematics, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Practising realistic 11+ material across these areas is the most effective preparation.
How to Prepare for the Reading 11+
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Simulating real exam conditions means no surprises on the day — your child knows what to expect.
GL Assessment Practice Papers and Quest Software for Berkshire Grammar Schools
Berkshire Grammar Schools uses the GL Assessment 11+ format. Our practice papers mirror that exact format, with a short tutor video explaining every question. Quest, our interactive practice software, comes in a GL Assessment edition too: 4,600 questions across English, Maths, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning in short tests with medals to win, an Exam Hall of timed mocks, the GL sitting papers, flashcards, a daily five, a Weekly Challenge set by a friendly Guardian and a hero your child unlocks by learning, with a working-out board under every question and My Corrections — plus a Skills Report and a week-by-week plan for parents. Start with the free samples, then choose a pack when you're ready.
When you're readyPractice-paper packs from £19 · all papers £69 · Quest £59 a year · Quest + all papers £89. One-off purchases with 12 months' access — no subscription, nothing renews.
View GL Assessment practice papers →Berkshire Grammar Schools — Frequently Asked Questions
Which grammar schools does this cover?
Reading's two grammar schools — Reading School (boys) and Kendrick School (girls), both highly selective.
Do they share one test?
No — they are separate admissions authorities and use different tests and providers, so you must register with each separately.
What is Reading School's test?
A multi-paper test based on the Key Stage 2 curriculum (Future Stories Community Enterprise). In-catchment/boarding applicants sit in July; out-of-catchment day applicants in late September.
What is Kendrick School's test?
Two one-hour GL Assessment multiple-choice papers covering English, Maths, Verbal and Non-Verbal Reasoning, sat in mid-September; scores are age-standardised and ranked.
How do I register?
Register with each school individually via its website (registration opens around 1 May 2026), then submit your local authority Common Application Form by 31 October.
When are results?
Both schools release results in mid-October, before the 31 October application deadline.
Is there a catchment area?
Both schools apply priority-area / catchment criteria; Kendrick in particular very rarely offers places outside its designated area.
Are Reading and Slough scores shared?
No — there is no score-sharing between Kendrick and the Slough Consortium, so you would need to sit both tests.
Start preparing for the Berkshire Grammar Schools 11+
Try the free GL Assessment samples first — a real paper, a tutor video and the Quest demo, no sign-up. Then choose a pack when you're ready.