Reading School

Stay ahead with exclusive tips on the 11 Plus exam for Reading School

  • The Reading results came out today - he passed and has been invited to an open day next week. We are super proud and really pleased for him. We hope this achievement will be a big confidence boost. He’s away on a school residential trip this week so doesn’t know yet, but we wanted to let you know and to say thank you for getting him this far.

    Year 5 parent, Wokingham (2022)

We’re dedicated to your child’s success

With a proven track record in preparing pupils for the 11 Plus, Marie Redmond MEd and her team of exceptional, fully qualified and experienced primary teachers (not 'tutors') provide specialist tuition focused on your child’s individual learning needs.

Our unique 11 Plus tuition courses in Amersham, Aylesbury, Beaconsfield, BusheyGerrards Cross, High Wycombe, Maidenhead, Reading (Winnersh, Wokingham) and Stoke Poges are structured to give children the confidence they need to sit and pass exams in a friendly, stress-free environment.

Introduction to the Reading School 11 Plus Entrance Test

To be eligible to apply for a place at Reading School your son will need to take the School Entrance Test (11 Plus exam). Children born between 1st September 2014 and 31st August 2015 will take the Reading School 11+ exam on Friday 5th September 2025 to be eligible to apply for a place for September 2026.

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.

FAQs About the Reading School Entrance Test

What does the Reading School 11 Plus exam include?

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.

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.

What does the Reading School 11 Plus exam look like?

We are waiting for Reading School to publish their new familiarisation paper, reflecting the changes to the exam.

How do I register my son for the Reading School Entrance Test?
  • 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.
What is the qualifying score for Reading School and what is the chance of my son securing a space?

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.*

11 plus tuition for reading school

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.
When are the Reading School 11 Plus results announced?
  • 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.
When can I apply for a Year 7 Reading School place for my son?
  • If you wish your son 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 2025 and you will have until the end of 31st October 2025 to submit it to your Local Authority.
  • School places for September 2026 will be confirmed on 2nd March 2026.
  • 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.

Creative Thinking Course

11+ Creative Thinking Course logo for Reading School

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

11+ Creative Writing Course logo

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. Marie Redmond's Superbrain® Creative Writing NotebookStudents 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®

11 Plus mock exams to help get into Reading SchoolGet exam ready with Marie Redmond Tuition® Reading Boys 11 Plus Mock Exams.

We also offer Slough 11 Plus mock exams and Buckinghamshire and Kendrick (GL-style) 11 Plus mock exams

Students who sat our mock exams in 2023 said they were very similar to the actual tests, which made them feel prepared and confident when sitting the exam.

Marie Redmond's Superbrain® 11+ Resources

Marie Redmond's Superbrain® 11+ Flashcards packagingStudents 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.

Marie Redmond's Superbrain® Year 4 & 5 Verbal Reasoning and Maths Books

Data-Led Approach With SuccessTrack® by Marie Redmond

In addition to weekly spelling tests, our term-time students undergo formal assessments twice per term—at half-term and at the end of the term—covering all topic areas. These assessments provide a valuable measure of progress over time, ensuring that we can track genuine improvements in attainment without being overly influenced by short-term fluctuations. Testing more frequently risks skewing results due to the occasional ‘off week,’ whereas our structured approach strikes the perfect balance between regular monitoring and meaningful insight.

Based on the initial assessment and your child's specific answers, we create a personalised tuition plan that sets individual targets for each subject area that is relevant to them, such as English, maths, verbal and non-verbal reasoning. Every lesson is designed to develop these areas. We continuously monitor progress, allowing us to refine tuition plans to ensure they suit your child's needs and challenges.

Parents are always welcome to contact us at any stage during their child's 11+ course for feedback on their development. They can speak with their child's teacher after lessons or contact Marie directly by phone or email for further insight. As a smaller provider, we take pride in our ability to offer tailored guidance and maintain a close, supportive relationship with families.

The Marie Redmond Tuition® Book Club

Marie Redmond Tuition Book ClubSharing 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.

The Marie Redmond Tuition® Creative Writing Course

11+ Creative Writing Course for the Reading School entrance exam

Our virtual creative writing lessons take place weekly on Zoom and are particularly useful for boys preparing for the Reading School 11+ exam but are open to all our term time students.

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.

For further information, including fees, term dates and FAQ's, please visit our creative writing course page.

Our courses are led by qualified primary teachers and prepare pupils for all aspects of the Reading 11 Plus

Discover our 11 Plus courses

Feedback from parents

  • Hi Marie He passed both the Reading and Slough exams.Thank you for your help and support!

    Year 5 parent, Bracknell (2022)

  • He passed his CEM with marks of 112 and GL with marks of 123! Thank you so much for the tuition, it really helped and prepared him well for his exams.

    Year 6 parent, Iver (2020)

  • Thank you Marie. He was happy after reading your message from the mail. I would also like to add that he has also passed the exam for Wilson's Grammar School, Sutton Grammar School and Wallington County Grammar School. I've given the feedback and frankly I also chose your classes by seeing the feedback which helped us at the end. Please convey my thanks to Anne for her constant feedback and guidance. I would like to Thank you and your team for organising everything nicely.

    Year 5 parent, Reading (2022)

  • Hello Marie, she passed with 120! (CEM). Thank you for all your help and giving her the confidence boost she needed. We’ll look forward to our next Daughter attending your course in 2 years!

    Year 5 parent, Burnham (2018)

  • My son started just after February 2023 half term and he also did the Easter and Summer intensive courses and I am extremely pleased to say that he has passed and was accepted at Reading School (boys grammar). He did the 11+ with Marie Redmond in Winnersh which was an ideal location. Melanie his tutor was excellent. He also did book club and creative writing which gave him a wider vocabulary and a great opportunity to meet like-minded students of his age group which he really enjoyed.Highly recommend and we'll be looking at 11+ tuition when my youngest son reaches 10 years old.[From Google Review. The location of the parent/child has been excluded as their name is featured on Google]

    Year 6 parent, Location Confidential (2024)

  • We’re pleased to inform you that Yuvani passed her Kendrick test. Considering last year’s results, we are hopeful that she will be offered a placed in Kendrick in March 2025. May I take this opportunity to thank you, Craig and also Yuvani’s teachers Grace and Elle for their interesting and enjoyable style of teaching!

    Year 5 parent, Reading (2024)

  • I’m delighted to say India passed both exams and scored 125 on the CEM and 132 on the GL. Thank you so much for all the work you guys have put in to get her here and please pass on our thanks to Sarah. I would absolutely recommended your tuition every time and fingers crossed you’ll have us signing up our youngest next year!

    Year 5 parent, Uxbridge (2018)

  • Henry has passed the Buckinghamshire Secondary School Transfer exam and Slough CEM exam. Thank you so much for teaching him.

    Year 5 parent, Maidenhead (2018)

  • He passed- 136 GL and 118 CEM – thank you so much!

    Year 5 parent, Burnham (2018)

  • We wanted to let you know that Yuvani enjoyed her first lesson with Elle.

    Year 5 parent, Reading (2023)

  • We're really pleased with Matilda's test results. Matilda really enjoyed the Summer course - she came out each day happy and was quite excited to go in each day. I think focussed learning in an environment like that is something she responds positively to, so we'll definitely look to book her in for next Summer too.

    Year 5 parent, Reading (2021)

  • Hi Marie, I was waiting for all the results to come before I email you. We just did. He has cleared all of the exams he gave.Reading School: Total score: 225.6 English: 116.9 Maths: 108.7 Creative Writing: Of the StandardSutton Consortium: He has passed the first and second stages for all the schools.Poole Grammar School: English: 140 Maths: 125 VR: 126 Standardised Total Score: 391 Cut off for Poole grammar School:297 Cut off for Bournemouth School: 312Bishop Wordsworth's School: VR: 127.04 Maths: 119.16 NVR: 118.62 Total Weighted Score: 122.97 Cut off: 99.10Thank you so much for your support and Anne's help as he wouldn't have achieved what he has without you.

    Year 5 parent, Basingstoke (2022)

  • 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.

    Year 5 parent, Reading (2017)

  • Many Thanks Marie for the quick response. I'm really happy with the overall exam and feedback process.

    Year 5 parent, Reading (2022)

  • Hi Marie, Sarah, Craig and all the team. I would like to thank you all for the support with Amália's 11+. She felt that she was well prepared for the exam this weekend. She enjoyed the weekly sessions and regardless of getting into the school of choice or not, she had a positive experience throughout the course. The Book Club was wonderful too.

    Year 5 parent, Reading (2023)

  • Dear Marie, Joshua attended his session today and he thoroughly enjoyed it and was very impressed with Irene and your 614 Winnersh location in Reading. As soon as he came out he said, “Mummy I love it here and this is where I want to be”.

    Year 4 parent, Calcot (2023)

  • I really enjoyed this year and I am over the moon I managed to pass the Reading exam and get in sportwise. I am so glad I did the tutoring as it really paid off. I made new friends at tutoring and it was fun over the year at breaks playing with my friends. Sinead was a great teacher and she really helped me learn a lot. Overall it was a great experience.

    Year 5 parent, Wokingham (2024)

  • I am writing to inform you that Anastasis did well passing both CEM and GL exams. We are very pleased, and want to thank you for your help. In fact I found the Easter and Summer courses helpful with different books to support needs of practising.

    Year 6 parent, Slough (2019)

  • She is doing really well in year 6. She took both CEM and GL tests. She passed both of them. GL with a result of 125 and CEM 114. Once again thank you for your support Marie and all the best for Catherine of course!

    Year 5 parent, Uxbridge (2018)

  • I am very pleased with Amira’s outstanding results. Super progress. Thank you, Amira is thrilled! Amira so enjoys her Saturday lessons! Thank you so much!

    Year 4 parent, Reading (2015)

  • My son Samraj has just got his results and has passed his Slough CEM test. We also wanted to say a massive thank you to you personally and all the tutors that have helped Sam in his journey.

    Year 6 parent, Slough (2019)

  • He scored as follows: English: 112.1, Maths: 112.4, Creative Writing: Of the Standard. He is eligible for a place so we will see what happens in March. Thank you for your support in the process, we are happy with the outcome.

    Year 5 parent, Reading (2022)

  • He has qualified for Reading Boys. Please pass our many thanks onto Anne!

    Year 5 parent, Slough (2024)

  • Caleb had a great first day. He enjoyed that it was a small personable class and liked his teacher [Melanie] too. We are so looking forward to him having a great year with your fantastic team. Just wanted to add that I have spoken to Craig on many occasions. On each occasion I have found him to be considerate, thoughtful and very customer focused.

    Year 5 parent, Fleet (2022)

  • We are very proud to share that D has passed the Reading School exam. Thank you and please pass our big thanks to Melanie too. We must say your course is so well structured and helpful and Melanie did a great job in getting D ready. All very much appreciated.

    Year 6 parent, Wokingham (2023)

  • Dear Marie, I don`t know where to begin, but i will start with a huge THANK YOU ! Sophia sat for her 11+ at Kendrick, Queen Anne`s and Reading Blue Coat. She have been offered a full scholarship in both Queen Anne`s and Reading Blue Coat. And this morning we have been offered a place at  Kendrick grammar school. We had made our decision already to send her to Reading Blue Coat but the cherry on the cake was the offer in Kendrick, that means she has done particularly well in her exams and there`s the signature of Marie Redmond all over it. We would also like to thank all the teachers that has worked with Sophia during her preparation and hope when you are in Winnersh next we could meet. We have our youngest daughter, still in year 3 but will sit for her 11+ in a couple of years, I would be so grateful if you could send me the application form to apply for a scholarship at your institution in due time.

    Year 6 parent, Reading (2025)

  • The Reading results came out today - he passed and has been invited to an open day next week. We are super proud and really pleased for him. We hope this achievement will be a big confidence boost. He’s away on a school residential trip this week so doesn’t know yet, but we wanted to let you know and to say thank you for getting him this far.

    Year 5 parent, Wokingham (2022)

  • Just to let you know that Ella scored 143 in the GL and 120 in the CEM tests. I’ve a year off this year following consecutive years of 11+ prep with my other two, but I would like to sign up the next child for tuition starting in Sept 2020 when she is in Year 5 please.

    Year 6 parent, Chalfont St Peter (2019)

  • My son got 144 in the Bucks GL exam and 124 in the Slough CEM exam.

    Year 5 parent, Chalfont St Peter (2018)

  • He achieved 122 in the CEM test - a big thank you to you and your staff for your help in preparing him for it.

    Year 6 parent, Iver (2020)

  • We just wanted to provide an update on George, and that he got offered a place at Reading School, Reading starting Sept 2024.  He is so pleased and we couldn’t be prouder. Thank you so very much for giving George all the tools, knowledge and confidence to pass the exam with presumably a high mark! Not only were the lesson learnings invaluable, I am pleased to know that you taught him time management as due to Covid he had never sat an exam or had exam practice.

    Year 6 parent, Wokingham (2024)

  • Just to let you know that she qualified in her Kendrick exam. Thank you for helping her in the past year she has learnt so much and it has enhanced her confidence in taking exams. More importantly she actually enjoyed learning she didn’t find it a chore.

    Year 5 parent, Reading (2024)

  • Jugraj really enjoyed his first lesson and cant wait for next week.

    Year 4 parent, Reading (2023)

  • Hazel enjoyed the whole experience of attending the tuition. Especially, she said she was happy with the mock tests which enabled her to build confidence in the exam room. She found it helpful for her and felt relax in the exam rooms. I appreciate the incredible support from the tuition and from mock test.

    Year 5 parent, Reading (2023)

  • Many thanks to you and your team of tutors for all your help and advice over the last few months in preparing our son for the 11+ exams. He passed both the Slough Consortium CEM and the Buckinghamshire GL 11+ exams. He just passed the CEM exam which we knew would be a challenge for him and he passed the GL exam with a good score. All the best for the future

    Year 6 parent, Stoke Poges (2019)

  • A big thank you to all the staff at MRT, Kemi passed both the GL and CEM 11+ exams. We hope to enrol our son (who is currently in Year 4) for lessons next year when he is in Year 5.

    Year 5 parent, Slough (2018)

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