Introduction to the Kendrick and Reading School Entrance Tests
In order to be eligible to apply for a place at either Kendrick School or Reading School (otherwise known as 'Reading Boys'), your child will need to take the relevant School Entrance Test (11 Plus exam). Children born between 1st September 2013 and 31st August 2014 will take their test in September 2024 to be eligible to apply for a place for September 2025. The 2024 Reading School exam (for 2025 entry) will take place on Wednesday 4th September 2024. The 2024 Kendrick School exam (for 2025 entry) will take place on Friday 20th September 2024.
Kendrick School announced on 7th November 2022 that its 11+ exam provider was changing from CEM to GL Assessment from the September 2023 exam (up until 2022, the exam was provided by Cambridge CEM). There is no longer a score sharing agreement in place with Slough and therefore, if your child is applying for both Kendrick and Slough, they will need to sit both the Kendrick and Slough Consortium exams.
Reading School (known informally as 'Reading Boys') switched from CEM to its own admissions test in 2021, which consists of three elements: English, Maths and Creative Writing. Children are expected to show ability appropriate to the Key Stage 2 curriculum. All 3 elements will be tested on one day and all tests will take place at Reading School only. A familiarisation paper is available here. For non-routine admissions (which can occur when a student on leaves the school and the number of students on roll for a particular year group falls below the admission number), the school continues to use a CEM exam, testing verbal, numerical and non-verbal reasoning.
Amira did really well obtained 119.57 Kendrick exam and obtained 128 for the Slough grammar exam, for the Buckinghamshire exam obtained 128 too. So proud of her. Thank you your contribution towards Amira helped her a lot. Amira will hopefully be attending Kendrick school 2018.
The Kendrick (GL Assessment) exam consists of two papers, taken on the same day, each approximately 45 minutes in duration and testing three areas – verbal, mathematical and non-verbal reasoning skills.
The first paper tests verbal skills, including comprehension, English technical language and verbal reasoning.
The second paper tests non-verbal reasoning, spatial reasoning and maths.
All questions on both papers are multiple choice and pupils indicate their answers on a separate answer sheet.
You need to register your child for the Kendrick School Admission Test by completing the online registration form on the school website.
The purpose of registration is for your child to take the entrance test, not apply for a place at Kendrick School. Based on the results, you will still need to provide your child’s school preferences to your local authority on the Common Application Form (CAF).
Online registration for the 2024 exam (for 2025 entry) opened on Wednesday 1st May on the website of Kendrick School and close at midnight on Monday 1st July 2024.
On Tuesday 7th February 2023, the Slough Consortium of Grammar Schools announced that from the 2023 exam, there would be no sharing of 11+ scores with other schools. Therefore, if your child is applying for both Kendrick and Slough, they child will need to sit both the Kendrick and Slough Consortium exams.
Kendrick School strongly advises parents who live outside of their designated area NOT to register their child to sit their test – no candidate, whatever the score they attain, who lives outside of their designated area has been offered a place at Kendrick School since the introduction of the designated area in 2013.
It is extremely challenging to secure entry to Kendrick School, with over 8 girls applying for every place and less than 34.22% of those achieving a qualifying score (105 or above) likely to gain admission.*
The qualifying score of Kendrick School pupils who sat the entrance exam in 2021 for entry in 2022 is 105 (compared with 104 in the 2020 exam); excluding those on pupil premium, service premium, or a child in care or previously in care and residing in Kendrick School’s designated area.
Even if your daughter achieves and exceeds the qualifying score, she is not guaranteed a space. The exam is highly competitive, with places offered to the highest scoring candidates. If the number of students that meet or exceed the qualifying score is higher than the admission number for 2022 (128), the school’s oversubscription criteria is applied. In other words, places are allocated in order priority based on the criteria set by the school. Please see the school’s admission policy for further information.
In the 2021 exam, 374 students achieved Kendrick’s qualifying score of 105 or above (compared with 440 in 2020 achieving 104 or more), with only 128 places available. The highest scoring candidate in the 2021 exam is due to be shared in March 2022. The highest scoring candidate in the 2020 exam achieved a standardised score of 128.58 (compared with 126.92 in 2019).
Kendrick School does not publish the lowest qualifying score of a child that was admitted until a year after the exam. The lowest qualifying score of a child that was admitted in September 2020 was 106.68 (compared to 114.17 in 2019). This does not include candidates who qualifed in categories 1 or 2 of the oversubscription criteria, such as those in care or in receipt of pupil premium. The student admitted with a score of 106.68 resides in Kendrick School’s Priority Area 1.
For pupils in care or previously in care, or pupils with a permanent address in Kendrick’s Priority Areas 1 and 2 and in receipt of Pupil Premium or Service Premium, the qualifying score for entry in September 2022 is 100. Students that meet or exceed this score are offered a place at Kendrick School providing they name the school as their first choice on their Common Application Form. For 2022 entry, 12 students in these categories achieved the qualifying score of 100.
* For September 2022 entry, 1056 girls applied to Kendrick School, including 745 who sat the test at the school and 311 who sat the test at another venue and requested that their results were shared with Kendrick. That is more than 8 girls applying for each of the 128 spaces available. 374 of the 1056 girls that applied achieved the qualifying score of 105. Therefore, as some pupils in care or previously in care, or pupils with a permanent address in Kendrick’s Priority Areas 1 and 2 and in receipt of Pupil Premium or Service Premium, may be admitted with a qualifying score of 100, we can assume that less than 34.22% (i.e. less than 128) of the 374 girls that achieved the qualifying score of 105 will have secured a 2022 place at Kendrick School.
The 2023 Kendrick School 11 Plus exam results (for 2024 entry) were announced on Friday 20th October. The release date for the 2024 results (for 2025 entry) has not yet been announced, however the results will be shared in time for you to submit your child’s Common Application Form (CAF) by the end of 31st October deadline.
If you wish your child to be considered for entry to Kendrick School, you are required to name the school on the Common Application Form (CAF).
Common Application Forms will open online at the beginning of September 2024 and you will have until the end of31st October 2024 to submit it to your Local Authority.
School places for September 2025 will be confirmed on 1st March 2025.
In whichever year you are applying, you can name up to 6 schools on your CAF.
If you live outside Reading, you must apply through your own Local Authority – even if your child currently attends a Reading primary school.
The Reading School 11 Plus entrance exam consists of three elements: English, Maths and Creative Writing. All 3 elements will be tested on one day in September and all tests will take place at Reading School.
You need to register your child for the Reading School Admission Test by completing the online registration form on the school admissions website.
The purpose of registration is for your child to take the entrance test, not apply for a place at Reading School. Based on the results, you will still need to provide your child’s school preferences to your local authority on the Common Application Form (CAF).
Online registration for the 2024 exam (for 2025 entry) opened on Monday 1st April 2024 and close at midday on Friday 14th June 2024.
It is extremely challenging to secure entry to Reading School, with over 6 boys applying for every place and less than 33.9% of those achieving a qualifying score (95 or above) likely to gain admission.*
The qualifying score of Reading School pupils who sat the entrance exam in 2021 for entry in 2022 was 95 (in both English and Maths). In addition, to qualify, their creative writing had to be marked as ‘Of the standard’.
In the 2021 exam, 444 students achieved Reading School’s qualifying score of 95 or above (a score of 90 for Pupil Premium and Looked After Children). This is compared with 350 in 2020 and 338 in 2019, albeit under the previous (CEM) exam and qualifying scores. There are only 150 places available, including 138 day places and 12 boarding places. In the 2021 exam, the highest standardised scores achieved were 141.0 for English and 136.9 for Maths. Reading School does not publish the lowest qualifying score of a child that was admitted until a year after the exam. As the new test was introduced in 2021, it will not be possible to start comparing the lowest scores until October 2023, when the lowest scores for both 2022 and 2023 entry will be in the public domain. When the lowest qualifying scores are available, they will not include candidates who qualified in categories 1 and 2 of the oversubscription criteria, such as those in care or in receipt of pupil premium.
For pupils in care or previously in care (category 1), or pupils with a permanent address in Reading School’s designated area and in receipt of Pupil Premium or Service Premium (category 2), the qualifying score for September 2022 was 90 or above in English and Maths. In addition, their creative writing had to be marked as ‘Of the standard.’ This means that pupils that achieved the qualifying score of 90 or above were offered a place at Reading School before categories 3 and 4 were applied.
* For September 2022 entry, 911 boys applied to Reading School. That is more than 6 boys applying for each of the 150 spaces available. 442 of the 911 boys that applied achieved the qualifying score of 95. Therefore, as some pupils may be admitted from categories 1 and 2 with a qualifying score of 90, we can assume that less than 33.9% (i.e. less than 150) of the 442 boys that achieved the qualifying score of 95 will have secured a 2022 place at Reading School.
If you wish your child to be considered for entry to Reading School, you are required to name the school on the Common Application Form (CAF).
Common Application Forms will open online at the beginning of September 2024 and you will have until the end of31st October 2024 to submit it to your Local Authority.
School places for September 2025 will be confirmed on 1st March 2025.
In whichever year you are applying, you can name up to 6 schools on your CAF.
If you live outside Reading, you must apply through your own Local Authority – even if your child currently attends a Reading primary school.
What is Required to Pass the Kendrick 11 Plus (GL Assessment exam)?
Verbal skills, i.e. English and Verbal Reasoning (approx. 50% of the mark)
Comprehension
Verbal reasoning (the production of words, relationships between words, letters and numbers)
Vocabulary
Spelling
Grammar
Punctuation
Mathematical skills (25% of the mark)
Basic skills (addition, multiplication, division and subtraction)
Mental maths development
Problem solving techniques
Extracting information from graphs and tables
Averages
Foundation algebra concepts
Fractions, decimals and percentages
Ratio and proportion
Area and volume
2d and 3d shapes
Non-verbal skills (25% of the mark)
Spatial awareness
Logical deduction skills
Mathematical concepts such as symmetry, rotation and reflection
Identifying relationships, similarities and differences between figures
Identifying sequences between shapes
What Is Required to Pass the Reading School 11 Plus?
English
Comprehension
Vocabulary
Spelling
Grammar
Punctuation
Mathematics
Basic skills (addition, multiplication, division and subtraction)
Mental maths development
Problem solving techniques
Extracting information from graphs and tables
Averages
Foundation algebra concepts
Fractions, decimals and percentages
Ratio and proportion
Area and volume
2d and 3d shapes
Creative Writing
Story settings
Story characters
Story openings
Story events/problems
Story resolutions (endings)
Data-Led Approach With SuccessTrack® by Marie Redmond
Our term time students are assessed twice during each team – at half term and at the end of term. Based on the outcome of their initial assessment, we will create a tuition plan that sets their individual targets for each area they are preparing for (e.g. verbal, non-verbal and numerical reasoning). All lessons throughout the course are then designed to develop these areas. We continually monitor our student's progress; this means that we can check they’ve achieved their individual targets and revise their tuition plan to ensure that it suits their needs and challenges. Parents are always welcome to get in touch with us at any time during your child’s tuition, to gain feedback on their development.
SuccessTrack® by Marie Redmond is our unique data-led service that allows parents to:
Track their child’s progress over the Year 4 and 5 term time courses - our charts visualise a students' performance in each area of the 11 Plus, using data from our regular assessments (2 per term).
See their child's overall score and how that compares to our recommended pass mark for each exam they are planning to sit.
View anonymously how their child's scores compare (for each topic area and at a total level) to the average of all children in their cohort.
View their child's termly tuition plan, created using data from their assessments.
Read the end of term student report from their child's teacher.
Marie Redmond's Superbrain® 11+ Resources
A range of Marie Redmond's Superbrain®Books are provided exclusively to students on our courses. Using the knowledge gained during her eleven years of preparing students for the 11+ and independent school entrance exams, Marie Redmond MEd has written a number of verbal reasoning, English and maths books. Additionally, a range of verbal reasoning holiday course books are provided exclusively to students attending our Year 5 11+ Easter and 11+ summer holiday courses.
Marie Redmond's Superbrain® 11 Plus Flash Cards are given to all our term time students when they join, to supercharge their vocabulary skills.
Marie Redmond's Superbrain® Books for Year 5 11+ Tuition Courses in Reading
Marie Redmond's Superbrain® Books for Year 5 11+ Intensive Holiday Courses in Reading
Marie Redmond's Superbrain® Books for Year 4 11+ Tuition Courses in Reading
The Marie Redmond Tuition® Book Club
Sharing our enjoyment of books is a fantastic way to encourage reading and therefore develop vocabulary and comprehension at home. The Marie Redmond Tuition® Book Club is an excellent platform for discussions about books, opportunities for creativity and promoting reading for pleasure. Discover our book of the month.
Creative Writing Course
Creative Writing Course
The virtual creative writing course is taught by our experienced teacher, Anne, who has an immense passion for reading and writing and leads our Book Club, in addition to teaching 11+ courses. This option is particularly useful for boys preparing for the Reading School 11+ exam but is open to all our students.
Students attend one creative writing lesson per week on Zoom, which lasts for 45 minutes. During every lesson they participate in a fun writing skills warm-up activity which might focus on grammar or a literary device, they might read and analyse a writing example or use a story prompt, and then work on creating their own text.
Every week there is a focus which can include story settings, characters, openings, events / problems and resolutions. Students practise writing in a variety of formats such as stories, plays, newspaper articles and letters. They are taught to use a variety of literary techniques and we show them how to draft their work, as well as reviewing and editing.
Homework is set every week. Students build upon the tasks in their lesson to create their own text. The texts are then reviewed at the start of the next lesson.
One lesson per week on Zoom, lasting 45 minutes. Tuesdays at 4:30 pm, 5:30 pm or 6:30 pm.
For further information, including fees, term dates and FAQ's, please visit our creative writing course page.
11+ Mock Exams With Marie Redmond 11+ Intelligent Video Learning®
Students who sat our 11 Plus mock exams in 2023 said they were very similar to the actual test, which made them feel prepared and confident when sitting the exam.
Our Kendrick and Reading School 11 Plus Tuition Courses prepare pupils for all aspects of the exams
In order to be eligible to apply for a place at either Kendrick School or Reading School (otherwise known as 'Reading Boys'), your child will need to take the relevant School Entrance Test (11 Plus exam). Children born between 1st September 2013 and 31st August 2014 will take their test in September 2024 to be eligible to apply for a place for September 2025. The 2024 Reading School exam (for 2025 entry) will take place on Wednesday 4th September 2024. The 2024 Kendrick School exam (for 2025 entry) will take place on Friday 20th September 2024.
Using the knowledge gained during her eleven years of preparing students for the 11+ and independent school entrance exams, Marie Redmond MEd has written a number of verbal reasoning, English and maths books. Additionally, a range of verbal reasoning holiday course books are provided exclusively to students attending our Year 5 11+ Easter and 11+ summer holiday courses.
Sharing our enjoyment of books is a fantastic way to encourage reading and therefore develop vocabulary and comprehension at home. The Marie Redmond Tuition® Book Club is an excellent platform for discussions about books, opportunities for creativity and promoting reading for pleasure. Discover our book of the month.
Students practise writing in a variety of formats such as stories, plays, newspaper articles and letters. They are taught to use a variety of literary techniques and we show them how to draft their work, as well as reviewing and editing.
Get exam ready with Marie Redmond Tuition® 11 Plus Mock Exams.