When should we register for the Reading School and Kendrick School 11-plus?
Registration for both Reading School and Kendrick School opens in late May of Year 5 and typically closes by late June or early July. Missing this window means your child cannot sit that academic year's test — there are no late registrations. Most families set a reminder for the first week of June in Year 5. Check the individual admissions pages on the Reading School and Kendrick School websites each spring, as the exact opening date varies slightly year to year. Also note that you must register with the school directly, separate from submitting your Common Application Form through Reading Borough Council.
What subjects are tested in the Reading School and Kendrick 11-plus?
Both Reading School and Kendrick School use GL Assessment papers covering four subjects: Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics, and English. The Verbal Reasoning paper tests 21 standard GL question types including analogies, coded sequences, and word puzzles. Non-Verbal Reasoning covers shape patterns, matrices, and 3D rotation. The Mathematics paper goes beyond the standard Year 6 curriculum, including ratio, basic algebra, and complex shape problems. The English paper includes a timed comprehension passage and a writing task. All four papers are sat on the same morning at the school or designated test centre.
How competitive is Reading School compared to other grammar schools?
Reading School is one of the most competitive state grammar schools in England. It receives approximately 1,800 applications annually for around 150 Year 7 places — an acceptance rate of roughly 8%. However, because many applicants are well-prepared and the scoring is tight, the effective competition is even fiercer at the top of the mark distribution. Candidates typically need to score in the top 2–3% of all GL Assessment sitters nationally to receive an offer. This places Reading School in the same tier of selectivity as schools like King Edward VI in Birmingham or the Sutton grammar schools, rather than the more accessible partially selective schools.
Is Kendrick School as hard to get into as Reading School?
Yes. Kendrick School is comparably selective to Reading School, drawing girls from across Reading, Wokingham, and beyond. It is consistently ranked among the top girls' state schools in England and receives a large field of well-prepared applicants each year. The same GL Assessment format applies, and the score threshold required is similarly in the top 2–3% nationally. Kendrick places particular emphasis on English and verbal ability alongside mathematics, so girls who read widely and write fluently tend to perform well. Both schools release standardised scores to parents in mid-October, allowing families to see exactly where their daughter or son ranked.
Can we move to Reading to qualify for Reading School or Kendrick?
Distance from school is not a selection criterion for Reading School or Kendrick School. Both schools are superselective — they rank all qualified applicants by standardised test score alone, with no distance tiebreaker. This means a child living in Oxford or London who sits the test and achieves a high enough score will be offered a place ahead of a Reading resident with a lower score. Moving to Reading specifically to improve your child's chances will not help unless your child can achieve the required score. It does, however, affect which local authority you apply through for the Common Application Form.
What happens if my child misses the September test due to illness?
There is no re-sit opportunity for Reading School or Kendrick School if your child misses the September test date. Each school's admissions policy treats absence on the test day — regardless of the reason — as a missed application for that year. If your child is genuinely unwell, you should contact the school's admissions team immediately, but historical precedent strongly suggests that alternative test dates are not offered as a matter of course. Families in this situation typically wait a year and re-enter at Year 7 entry if the school offers it, or consider independent school options such as Bradfield College, which has a separate and more flexible admissions calendar.
Does Ranelagh School in Bracknell also use GL Assessment?
Ranelagh School is a partially selective Church of England school in Bracknell, within Bracknell Forest Borough. It uses the GL Assessment format for its selective places, consistent with the wider Berkshire consortium approach. However, only around 25% of its Year 7 intake is selected on academic grounds — the remainder of places are allocated on faith and distance criteria. The score threshold for Ranelagh's selective stream is lower than that required for Reading School or Kendrick, making it a realistic target for children who perform strongly but not in the very top percentiles. Families should check Bracknell Forest Borough Council's admissions guidance for Ranelagh's specific registration process, which runs on a slightly different timeline.
How does Applaa help children prepare specifically for the Reading 11-plus?
Applaa's 11-plus preparation platform is aligned to the GL Assessment format used by Reading School and Kendrick School, covering all four tested subjects: Verbal Reasoning, Non-Verbal Reasoning, Mathematics, and English. The adaptive engine identifies the specific question types your child struggles with — whether that is coded letter sequences in VR or matrix completion in NVR — and automatically increases exposure to those areas. Timed practice modes replicate the actual test conditions, building the speed and calm required for the September sitting. Progress reports give parents clear visibility of performance trends across each subject, so you know exactly where preparation time is best invested in the months before the Reading School and Kendrick test date.
