Best secondary schools in Reading: A complete 2026 guide

Reading is one of the more competitive secondary school areas in England. The town hosts two of the higher-performing state grammar schools in the country, sits next to several other strong selective schools in Berkshire, and has a number of well-known independents and comprehensives serving local families. The mix means there is genuine choice, but also a lot of pressure on entry to the more popular schools.

This guide is for parents weighing up secondary options in Reading, mixing grammar, independent and comprehensive schools, with notes on the 11+ entry route and admissions. The aim is to give a clear starting point for further research, not a strict ranking. Visit in person, talk to current parents and check the most recent Ofsted reports before settling on a decision.

We have based this list on schools with a long track record of strong results, positive Ofsted reputations and consistent demand from local families. We have mixed selective grammars, independents and non-selective comprehensives so that the list works whatever route you are considering.

We have not invented Ofsted ratings or specific exam results. Where we describe a school's strengths we have used qualitative language based on widely reported information. You should always check the most recent Ofsted report and the Department for Education's compare-school-performance service before making a decision.

Reading has a strong independent sector, with several well-known schools serving the town and the wider Thames Valley. Some have a Quaker or other religious foundation, and several offer day and boarding places. Fees vary, and most schools run a bursary scheme to support families on lower incomes.

Leighton Park is a co-educational independent boarding and day school with a Quaker foundation, founded in 1890. It offers GCSE, A-Level and the International Baccalaureate Diploma.

The school is known for an emphasis on values-led education alongside academics. The Quaker ethos shapes pastoral life and community expectations in distinctive ways.

The Abbey is an independent girls' day school in central Reading. It covers nursery through to sixth form.

The school is known for a long history serving the town and a strong record of university progression. Entry is by assessment at the main entry points.

Queen Anne's is an independent girls' boarding and day school in Caversham, just across the Thames. It covers Year 7 through to sixth form.

The school is known for its sport and academic offer, with both day and boarding places available. Entry is by assessment in Year 6 for Year 7 entry.

Bradfield College is a co-educational independent boarding and day school in Bradfield, just outside Reading. It takes pupils from 13 through to sixth form.

The school is known for a long-standing arts and drama tradition and a wide co-curricular offer. Boarding is a meaningful part of the school's offer alongside day places for local families.

Pangbourne College is a co-educational independent boarding and day school in Pangbourne, west of Reading. It takes pupils from 11 through to sixth form.

The school is known for a leadership and naval tradition alongside academics, and runs a wide co-curricular programme. Day places are available for families in the surrounding area.

Berkshire is grammar school territory, and Reading sits at the centre of it. The town hosts Reading School for boys and Kendrick School for girls, both regularly among the higher-performing state schools in the country by GCSE and A-Level results. Entry is by the Berkshire 11+, sat in September of Year 6, and demand typically far exceeds supply.

Unlike fully selective areas such as Kent or Buckinghamshire, Berkshire is a partial grammar area. Most pupils in the town attend non-selective schools, and the grammars take a small academic top slice rather than the upper half of the cohort. That tends to make the 11+ in Reading more competitive than in fully selective areas, because the threshold is much higher.

Reading School is a boys' state grammar in central Reading, founded in 1125. It is one of the oldest schools in England.

The school is known for regularly posting among the stronger A-Level results of any state school in the country, with a long-standing record of Oxbridge and Russell Group progression. Entry is by the Berkshire 11+ with very high qualifying scores.

Kendrick is a girls' state grammar in central Reading, founded in 1877. It is the sister grammar to Reading School.

The school is known for being similarly among the higher-performing state schools nationally, with very high entry thresholds. Entry is by the Berkshire 11+, with applicants ranked by score.

Most pupils in Reading attend non-selective state secondaries. The town has a number of well-regarded comprehensives, several of which post strong GCSE and A-Level results despite operating in a partial grammar area where the most academic pupils are skimmed off by the selective system. Admissions are based on catchment and distance, with sibling links and other published criteria applied first.

Maiden Erlegh is a co-educational state academy in Earley, just east of Reading. It is one of the more oversubscribed comprehensives in the area.

The school is known for consistently strong GCSE and A-Level results and a popular sixth form. Admission is non-selective and primarily distance-based.

Highdown is a co-educational state academy in Emmer Green, in the north of Reading. It serves a large catchment that includes Emmer Green and Caversham, north of the river.

The school is known for a long-standing sixth form offer and a broad subject curriculum. Admission is non-selective and primarily distance-based.

Bulmershe is a co-educational state academy in Woodley, on the eastern side of the town. It is part of the Corvus Learning Trust.

The school is known for serving families on the eastern edge of the borough and a wide GCSE curriculum. Admission is non-selective and primarily distance-based.

Reading Girls' School is a non-selective girls' state academy in south Reading. It is part of the Maiden Erlegh Trust.

The school is known for covering the full GCSE curriculum in a single-sex setting. Admission is non-selective and primarily distance-based.

King's Academy Prospect is a co-educational state academy in Tilehurst, in the west of Reading. It was previously known as Prospect School.

The school is known for serving a substantial catchment in west Reading and has invested in its sixth form offer. Admission is non-selective and primarily distance-based.

John Madejski Academy is a co-educational state academy in south Reading, founded as part of the early academies programme. It serves a diverse catchment.

The school is known for a structured behaviour culture and a focus on raising aspirations through links with local employers. Admission is non-selective and primarily distance-based.

League tables and open days only tell you so much. The right school for one child is often the wrong school for another, and the things that matter most are rarely visible in headline data. Walk the route from your home to the school in school hours. Sit in on an open day and watch how staff and pupils interact when they think nobody is paying close attention.

Think about practical factors too. Subject offer at GCSE and A-Level, commute time, pastoral support and the school's response when things go wrong all tend to matter more than headline results in the long run. One of the more useful questions to ask is what the school does for the average pupil, not what it does for its top set.

Reading state school admissions are co-ordinated through Reading Borough Council. You list up to six schools in order of preference and submit by 31 October in Year 6, for entry the following September. National offer day is 1 March.

If your child is sitting the Berkshire 11+, you register separately with the consortium in the summer before Year 6 and sit the test that September. The test covers English, Maths and verbal reasoning. Reading School and Kendrick rank applicants by score and admit from the top down, so a basic pass mark is not enough.

Independent schools run their own assessments, usually in January of Year 6 for Year 7 entry. Sixth form entry usually depends on predicted GCSE grades and an interview. Bursaries are available at most independents but vary in scale, so apply early and read each school's specific guidance.