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 2014 and 31st August 2015 will take their test in September 2025 to be eligible to apply for a place for September 2026. The 2025 Reading School exam (for 2026 entry) will take place on Friday 5th September 2025. The 2025 Kendrick School exam (for 2026 entry) will take place on Friday 19th September 2025.
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 consisted of three elements: English, Maths and Creative Writing. In February 2025, Reading School indicated changes to its admissions test, effective from the September 2025 exam. The FSCE Entrance Test in Reading will now consist of subjects covered in the KS2 curriculum and 'creativity'. The subjects covered could include: art & design, computing, design & technology, English, geography, history, languages, mathematics, music, physical education and science. Creativity is defined as 'the ability to think of new and imaginative ideas, or to solve problems in original and unique ways.' As with 'creative writing' in previous years, the new 'creativity' section will only be assessed if all other elements of the test are of the standard.
Reading School asserts that by focusing solely on areas of the KS2 National Curriculum taught up to the end of Year 5, the revised test is designed to eliminate the need for tutoring. However, we believe that expanding the exam’s scope may inadvertently increase demand for tuition and heighten student stress. Recognising this risk, we are committed to doing everything possible to mitigate these pressures. Our focus remains on ensuring that students are thoroughly prepared in a supportive, low-stress environment, allowing them to approach the exam with confidence and clarity.
Since English and maths receive more instructional time than other subjects up to the end of Key Stage 4, it is reasonable to expect them to feature more prominently than other KS2 topic areas in the revised Reading School exam. Furthermore, these subjects carry greater weight in Attainment 8, an annual measure of secondary school academic performance. As a highly academic institution, Reading School is unlikely to select students with weak English and maths skills!
We are currently reviewing the familiarisation papers for the new exam and will update parents shortly regarding the planned changes. In the meantime, we remain focused on the core subjects of English and maths and have introduced a Creative Thinking Course to help students prepare for the creativity component. We will continue to refine our approach based on confidential feedback from the first cohort of students sitting the new exam. For non-routine admissions—cases where a student leaves the school and the number of students on roll for a particular year group falls below the admission number—Reading School will continue using a CEM exam, assessing 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 2025 exam (for 2026 entry) will open on Thursday 1st May on the website of Kendrick School and close at midight on Tuesday 1st July 2025. Applicants will be sent the test day arrangements and session time by email no later than Friday 18th July 2025.
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 2023.
The 2024 Kendrick School 11 Plus exam results (for 2025 entry) were announced on Friday 25th October 2024.
The release date for the 2025 Kendrick results (for 2026 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 3rd 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.
Between 2021 and 2024, Reading School 11 Plus entrance exam consisted of three elements: English, Maths and Creative Writing. In February 2025, Reading School indicated changes to its admissions test, effective from the September 2025 exam. The FSCE Entrance Test in Reading will now consist of subjects covered in the KS2 curriculum and ‘creativity‘.
The subjects covered could include: art & design, computing, design & technology, English, geography, history, languages, mathematics, music, physical education and science. Creativity is defined as ‘the ability to think of new and imaginative ideas, or to solve problems in original and unique ways.’ As with ‘creative writing’ in previous years, the new ‘creativity’ section will only be assessed if all other elements of the test are of the standard.
Since English and maths receive more instructional time than other subjects up to the end of Key Stage 4, it is reasonable to expect them to feature more prominently than other KS2 topic areas in the revised Reading School exam. Furthermore, these subjects carry greater weight in Attainment 8, an annual measure of secondary school academic performance. As a highly academic institution, Reading School is unlikely to select students with weak English and maths skills!
Given that English and maths are compulsory subjects until the end of Key Stage 4, it seems reasonable to expect that they will remain central to the revised Reading School exam. Additionally, a higher weighting is placed on English and maths for Attainment 8, a measure published annually showing the average academic performance of a secondary school. Reading School is a highly academic instituition, and will not want to select children with poor English and maths skills!
We are currently reviewing the familiarisation papers for the new exam and will update parents shortly regarding the planned changes. In the meantime, we remain focused on the core subjects of English and maths and have introduced a Creative Thinking Course to help students prepare for the creativity component. We will continue to refine our approach based on confidential feedback from the first cohort of students sitting the new exam. For non-routine admissions—cases where a student leaves the school and the number of students on roll for a particular year group falls below the admission number—Reading School will continue using a CEM exam, assessing verbal, numerical, and non-verbal reasoning.
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 2025 exam (for 2026 entry) will open on Tuesday 1st April 2025 and close on Friday 13th June 2025.
Securing a place at Reading School is highly competitive. Historically, over six boys apply for every available space, and fewer than 33.9% of those achieving a qualifying score (95 or above at that time) are likely to gain admission.*
From the 2023 exam onwards, Reading School no longer provides ‘qualifying scores.’ In the past, this allowed parents to compare their child’s score with the lowest qualifying scores from previous years, helping them gauge the likelihood of securing a place in March of the following year. However, this never guaranteed a space, as the lowest qualifying score changed annually and was not published until a year after the exam.
To be eligible for admission to the school, candidates must now achieve an ‘eligible score,’ which includes minimum standards in each element of the test. However, this is not a ‘pass mark’ and does not guarantee entry, as the school states, “it is extremely likely that more boys will qualify for places than the School can accommodate.”
When you receive your child’s results, you will be informed if they have achieved the eligible score but you will not receive their actual score. As the school no longer shares this information, you will not know how likely they are to secure a place; a child that is ‘eligible’ could be ranked at the top or bottom of the list. If your child achieves an ‘eligible score,’ you can then decide if you wish to list Reading School as one of your preferences on your Common Application Form by the deadline of 31st October.
You will need to wait until the following March to know if your child has secured a place.
The Reading School admissions policy can be found here.
* For September 2022 entry, 911 boys applied to Reading School. That was 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.
The 2023 Reading School 11 Plus exam results (for 2024 entry) were released on Monday 16th October 2023.
The 2024 Reading School 11 Plus exam results (for 2025 entry) were released on Tuesday 15th October 2024.
The release date for the 2025 Reading School results (for 2026 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 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 3rd 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
Data-Led Approach With SuccessTrack® by Marie Redmond
Our term time students are assessed twice during each term - 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 their child's 11+ course, to gain feedback on their development. They can speak with their teacher after the lesson, or speak directly with Marie. Our size allows us to maintain that personal touch, ensuring families receive tailored guidance and support when they need it.
Marie Redmond's Superbrain® 11+ Resources
We are proud to offer an exclusive range of Marie Redmond's Superbrain® books, available only to students on our courses. Drawing on her expertise in preparing students for the 11+ and independent school entrance exams, Marie Redmond MEd has developed a comprehensive collection covering verbal reasoning, English, and maths—designed to make learning both effective and enjoyable.
Students attending our Year 5 11+ Easter and 11+ summer holiday courses receive a Superbrain® English and verbal reasoning holiday course book for each week they attend, further reinforcing their skills. Plus, all term-time students receive Marie Redmond's Superbrain® 11 Plus Flash Cards upon joining—an interactive resource designed to supercharge their vocabulary and accelerate exam preparation.
Explore our full Superbrain® collection and discover how these exclusive resources support students on their journey to 11+ success.
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 Thinking Course
The virtual Creative Thinking Course is particularly useful for boys preparing for the revised Reading School 11+ exam in September 2025 but is open to all our term-time students.
Students attend one creative thinking lesson per week on Zoom, which lasts for 45 minutes. Students are taught to use innovation and problem solving. They will become adept at approaching situations in different ways, using diverse strategies.
Every lesson includes a fun thinking skills warm-up activity followed by the main focus of the lesson. Strategies like group discussions, questioning, mind mapping, and thinking 'outside the box' are employed to encourage creative learning approaches. Students learn various writing techniques and how to draft, review, and edit their work.
Homework is assigned weekly to consolidate the skills taught during the lesson. Homework is submitted via email, and the creative thinking teacher annotates the text and writes a short report. General points about the texts are reviewed at the start of the next lesson.
Course Details:
One lesson per week on Zoom, lasting 45 minutes
Fee, including books: £25 per lesson
For further information, including fees, term dates and FAQ's, please visit our Creative Thinking Course page.
Creative Writing Course
Enrol your child in our virtual creative writing course, open to all our term-time students. This offers a fantastic opportunity for your child to enhance their spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary skills, whilst also fostering their creative writing abilities. If your child is preparing for Reading School, we recommend that you select the Creative Thinking Course instead of creative writing.
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.
Course Details:
One lesson per week on Zoom, lasting 45 minutes
Fee, including books: £25 per lesson
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
Our term time students are assessed twice during each term - 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.
Drawing on her expertise in preparing students for the 11+ and independent school entrance exams, Marie Redmond MEd has developed a comprehensive collection covering verbal reasoning, English, and maths—designed to make learning both effective and enjoyable.
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.