Kendrick School
Selective State Grammar School for Girls · Est. 1877
Kendrick is one of the country's most academically successful state schools — a small, intensely selective girls' grammar in central Reading where excellence is simply the baseline. With around 128 places for over 1,000 applicants each year, the bar is genuinely brutal, but families pay nothing for an education that consistently sends double-digit cohorts to Oxbridge. The culture is intellectually serious without being unkind: girls here are self-motivated, articulate, and quietly competitive. The school is academy-converted, Ofsted-Outstanding, and rated by the Sutton Trust as one of the highest state-school feeders to Oxford and Cambridge in the country. If your daughter is genuinely top-tier academically and you live within Priority Area 1 or 2, Kendrick is one of the best deals in British education.
A free, Ofsted-Outstanding girls' grammar in Reading sending around 13 girls a year to Oxbridge and ranked top-5 nationally by the Sutton Trust for state-school Oxbridge entry — the sister grammar to Reading School in the same town.
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London Road, Reading, Berkshire RG1 5BN
Year 7 Places
~128
96 in Priority Areas + 32 wider
Tuition Fee
£0
state-funded academy
Total Pupils
~904
girls only, ages 11–18
Sixth Form
~294
co-curricular & academic depth
GCSE 9–7 (2025)
~90%
school-published headline
A-Level A*–B (2025)
90%
32% A* (school-published)
Best For
Academically exceptional girls living in Priority Area 1 or 2 (most of Reading and surrounding RG postcodes) whose families want elite, free, intellectually serious education with a strong Oxbridge feeder pipeline.
Watch Out For
Competition is extreme — over 1,000 applications for around 128 places (roughly 8:1). The qualifying score for 2026 entry is 99.00 standardised, but a high score is necessary not sufficient: priority-area applicants are ranked by score within their tier. Out-of-area places (32 of the 128) are realistically reserved for very high-scorers. Note the exam now uses GL Assessment — the 2022 switch from CEM means older practice strategies are out of date.
Entry Points
- 11+ (main intake, ~128 places); 16+ Sixth Form
The Complete Admissions Timeline
Every key date, deadline and decision point — with insider intelligence you won't find on the school website. Click any item to reveal verified insider knowledge.
The critical window: Registration runs only from 1 May to 1 July of Year 5 — about 60 days. Miss this window and there is no fallback. The exam itself is in mid-September of Year 6, before most independent-school 11+ exams.
Critical Dates
Registration Opens
1 May (Year 5)
Registration Closes
1 July (Year 5)
Entrance Exam
Mid-September (Year 6)
Results Released
Mid-October (Year 6)
CAF Deadline
31 October (Year 6)
National Offer Day
1 March (Year 6)
Inside the Kendrick GL Assessment 11+
Kendrick School uses the GL Assessment 11+ since the September 2023 cycle (previously CEM). Candidates sit two multiple-choice papers on a single morning in mid-September of Year 6, each approximately 60 minutes long. Across the two papers, content covers English (reading comprehension, spelling, punctuation, grammar), Maths (KS2 number, measurement, geometry, statistics up to start of Year 6), Verbal Reasoning, and Non-Verbal/Spatial Reasoning. There is no creative writing element. All marking and standardisation is centralised at GL Assessment, with results returned to parents as standardised age scores (qualifying score 99.00 for 2026 entry).
English
Combined within ~60 min papers (alongside other strands) · Multiple-choice (GL Assessment)
Girls who are strong fluent readers but light on technical SPaG often lose 10–15% on grammar items they could have gained with a few weeks' targeted practice. Treat SPaG as a separate revision strand from comprehension.
Maths
Combined within ~60 min papers · Multiple-choice (GL Assessment), KS2 to start of Year 6
Many candidates have done masses of timed paper-style practice but limited work on fractions/decimals/percentages mental fluency. The exam tests speed-of-recall as much as method.
Verbal Reasoning
Combined within ~60 min papers · Multiple-choice (GL Assessment), 21 standard question types
Walking into the exam without having seen all 21 GL question types is the single biggest preventable loss. Some types (e.g. 'related numbers' and 'letters for numbers') feel alien on first encounter and eat time disproportionately.
Non-Verbal & Spatial Reasoning
Combined within ~60 min papers · Multiple-choice (GL Assessment) — includes spatial reasoning
Under-practice on 3D rotation and net-folding is the most common preventable loss. Most state primary curriculums do not cover this.
Topic Difficulty & Weight
Difficulty (%) and exam weight by topic area
Key takeaway: Premium
Topic Breakdown
Known Exam Traps — English
The pattern: Girls who are strong fluent readers but light on technical SPaG often lose 10–15% on grammar items they could have gained with a few weeks' targeted practice. Treat SPaG as a separate revision strand from comprehension.
If you can only improve in one area, make it
Vocabulary breadth & SPaG accuracy
What this means in practice:
Dedicate 60%+ of prep time to this area
Practice under timed conditions regularly
Review mistakes immediately after each session
Track progress weekly to spot patterns
All focus areas ranked by impact:
#1
Vocabulary breadth & SPaG accuracy
English
#2
Mental arithmetic & multi-step word problems
Maths
#3
Question-type familiarity across all 21 GL VR formats
Verbal Reasoning
#4
Spatial / 3D rotation practice (highest improvement headroom)
Non-Verbal & Spatial Reasoning
Format
Two multiple-choice papers, ~60 minutes each, on a single morning
Duration
~120 minutes total (plus breaks/instructions)
Answer Method
Pencil-and-paper multiple choice; computer-marked by GL Assessment
Curriculum baseline: KS2 national curriculum up to start of Year 6 (English & Maths); GL Assessment standard reasoning bank (VR & NVR/Spatial)
Academic Performance vs National Average
Kendrick consistently outperforms national averages across both GCSE and A-Level examinations. These animated comparisons show where the school excels and how this translates to university placement opportunities.
A-Level Results Comparison
Camp Hill Girls vs. National Average — Higher percentages indicate stronger performance
What this means: Camp Hill Girls consistently exceeds national averages across all A-Level performance bands. With 65% A*/A compared to the national 38%, girls achieve top-tier results that support progression to leading universities, including Oxbridge, Russell Group institutions, and specialist programs in Medicine, Law, and STEM.
GCSE Grade Distribution Comparison
Cumulative percentage achieving each grade threshold — Camp Hill Girls vs. National Average
Grade Distribution Insight: Over 90% of Camp Hill Girls achieve grades 9-7 at GCSE, compared to 31% nationally. This exceptional spread demonstrates consistent high achievement across the cohort, with girls well-prepared for rigorous A-Level study.
Grade 9-8
52%
vs 18% national
Grade 9-7
90%
vs 31% national
Grade 9-6
98%
vs 64% national
Grade 9-5
99.5%
vs 82% national
University Placement Implications
- •
Oxbridge Eligibility
Strong A-Level performance (65% A*/A) makes girls competitive for Oxford and Cambridge, particularly in STEM and humanities.
- •
Russell Group Admission
90% GCSE 9-7 achievement provides strong foundation for Russell Group universities including Imperial, UCL, Durham, and Warwick.
- •
Competitive Edge
Results place girls in top 5% of UK cohort, giving advantage in Medicine, Law, and competitive STEM programs.
Supporting Strong Achievement
- •
No Pressure-Cooker Culture
Excellence achieved through supportive teaching, strong pastoral care, and girls' intrinsic motivation rather than relentless pressure.
- •
Well-Rounded Development
Balanced commitment to academics, co-curricular activities (sports, music, drama), and character formation.
- •
Resilience & Confidence
Girls develop confidence to tackle challenging subjects and university applications without anxiety-driven perfectionism.
GCSE Excellence
90%
Grade 9-7 achievement (vs 31% national)
A-Level Top Grades
65%
A*/A grades (vs 38% national)
Top Achievers
42%
A* grades at A-Level
University Ready
99.5%
Grade 5+ across GCSE
No Interview — Pure Test-Score Allocation
Kendrick School does not conduct interviews for 11+ entry. Allocation is determined entirely by the GL Assessment standardised score plus the published oversubscription criteria (Pupil Premium status, Looked-After children, priority-area residence, sibling links). This is materially different from the assessment-day approach used by some sister grammar schools and almost all independent schools — there is no opportunity to demonstrate personality, curiosity, or fit.
Contact Admissions
Kendrick School Admissions Team
Insider Intel: What Other Parents Don't Know
These are the verified insights you will not find on the school website, in Good Schools Guide, or from any single tutoring agency. Each insight is compiled and cross-referenced from 14+ sources including official documents, parent reports, and tutoring industry data.This is the intelligence that gives ClassAce families an edge.
6 verified insider tips locked
Including 4 high-severity warnings other parents miss. Subscribe to read every tip in full.
- Timing windows other applicants don't know about
- Exam-day patterns and trap questions verified across 14+ sources
- Interview cues that decide marginal offers
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Common Mistakes Parents Make
The errors we see most often from families preparing for Kendrick School. Avoid these and you're already ahead of the majority of applicants.
6 costly mistakes — and the fix for each
Most parents make at least three of these without realising. Subscribe to read every mistake and the corrective action.
- What to stop doing in the final 6 weeks
- The myth about practice papers that hurts most candidates
- Interview-day briefings that backfire
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Kendrick vs Competitor Schools
How does Kendrick School compare to the schools your child is most likely also applying to? This analysis covers the key factors that actually matter to families.
Important context: Kendrick is a near-perfect academic peer of Henrietta Barnett and Tiffin Girls' — all three are high-output state grammars with no fees, intense competition, and standardised-test admission. The choice between them is almost entirely geographic.
| Factor | FeaturedKendrick School | Reading School | The Tiffin Girls' School | Henrietta Barnett School | Queen Anne's, Caversham | St George's Ascot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School Type | State grammar (girls, selective) | State grammar (boys, selective) — sister school | State grammar (girls, selective) | State grammar (girls, selective) | Independent girls' day/board | Independent girls' boarding |
| Co-educational | ||||||
| VR in Exam | ||||||
| Annual Fee | Free | Free (day) / boarding option | Free | Free | ~£28,000 day | ~£42,000 board |
| 11+ Difficulty | Very Hard (~8:1) | Very Hard | Very Hard | Extreme (~10:1) | Hard | Hard |
| Interview Style | None — score-only | Observational Assessment Day | None — score-only | None — score-only | Shortlist interview | Shortlist interview |
Why Parents Choose Kendrick
- Genuine top-tier academics for freeOutcomes that match £25k–£30k independent schools, at zero cost.
- Strong, distinct girls'-school cultureSelf-evident sibling relationship with Reading School (boys' grammar in same town) without sharing a campus or curriculum.
- Top-5 Sutton Trust state Oxbridge feederDocumented record of high-volume admission to Oxford and Cambridge for a state cohort of ~150 leavers per year.
- Ofsted Outstanding (January 2023)Most recent inspection rated all judgement areas Outstanding.
- Mechanical, transparent admissionsNo interview, no soft assessment — what you score is what you get.
Points to Consider
- Tight Priority Area boundariesLiving in Priority Area 1 vs 2 vs 'wider area' is the second most important factor after score. Wider-area applicants realistically need scores well above 99.00 to be competitive.
- Early registration window (1 May – 1 July)Earliest registration deadline of any major selective school in this dataset — many families miss it by waiting for September.
- GL Assessment, not CEMSwitched in 2023. Older practice books and tutors familiar with the previous CEM format are not aligned to the current exam.
- No second chanceThere is no interview. An off day on the test is the entire admissions decision.
Scholarships & Financial Support
As a state grammar, Kendrick School offers no fee-remission scholarships — entry is determined by GL Assessment score and oversubscription criteria. Pupil Premium, Service Premium and Looked-After children benefit from a lowered qualifying score (94.00 vs 99.00) and priority within the oversubscription criteria.
| Scholarship Type | Value | Available Places | Selection Method | Stackable? |
|---|
* Pupil Premium, Service Premium and Looked-After children qualify with a standardised score of 94.00 (vs the open-competition 99.00) and gain priority in oversubscription. Bursary support is not applicable as there are no fees.
The Preparation Roadmap
Everything here is built around Kendrick School's specific exam format, interview style, and selection criteria. This is not generic 11+ advice. Every recommendation is calibrated to this school.
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Updated May 2026 · 14 sources