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Reading School: 11+ entry

Erleigh Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 5LW

Facts checked 19 October 2026By ExamKind Editorial TeamSchool website

Some details are being re-checked

We check every fact against the official source on a schedule, and some details on this page are due their next check (last verified 19 October 2026). We'll update the page if anything has changed. How we check facts

Can we apply, and what did it take?

For September 2027 entry

  • Score to qualify

    Not published yet

  • Year 7 places

    150

    2027 entry, Published Admission Number ()

    Checked, source: Reading School, checked

  • Last distance offered

    Not publishedWe have no checked figure for how far offers reached.

Your next deadline

  1. Next: School place applications close: Common Application Form ()

    in 11 days

How far offers reached

Can we get in?

How far offers reached

Each bar shows how far from Reading School the last child offered a place lived, under the last admission rule the offers reached. Up to five years, on one scale.

Qualifying is not the same as being offered a place.

Reaching the school's standard means your child can be considered. If more children qualify than there are places, the school gives places using its admission rules, in order. The figures below show how far those rules reached in past years. They are history, not a prediction: they change every year with who applies.

Checked, source: Department for Education (GOV.UK), checked
No distance figures publishedWe have not found a checked figure for how far offers reached at Reading School. We add each year's figures after National Offer Day, when the council or school publishes them.

Applications and offers, September 2026 entry (Department for Education)

How many families applied to Reading School and how many places it offered. Applicants per place is all applications divided by offers. Families apply to several schools and not every applicant qualifies, so it is not the chance of a place.

Applications and offers at Reading School, September 2026 entry
FigureDepartment for Education
First-preference applications400First-preference applications, 2026 entryChecked 16 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics).The source says: 202627,Academic year,School,E92000001,England,E12000008,South East,870,E06000038,Reading,Secondary,8705401,z,4,Reading School,146,146,141,2,3,492,400,42,29,2.8368794326241136,2.739726027,297,98,Academy converter,No religious character,4.5,Selective,Urban: Nearer to a major town or city,No,E14001438,Reading Central,136449,7View the official source
All applications (any preference)492All applications (any preference), 2026 entryChecked 16 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics).The source says: 202627,Academic year,School,E92000001,England,E12000008,South East,870,E06000038,Reading,Secondary,8705401,z,4,Reading School,146,146,141,2,3,492,400,42,29,2.8368794326241136,2.739726027,297,98,Academy converter,No religious character,4.5,Selective,Urban: Nearer to a major town or city,No,E14001438,Reading Central,136449,7View the official source
Places offered on National Offer Day146Places offered on National Offer Day, 2026 entryChecked 16 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics).The source says: 202627,Academic year,School,E92000001,England,E12000008,South East,870,E06000038,Reading,Secondary,8705401,z,4,Reading School,146,146,141,2,3,492,400,42,29,2.8368794326241136,2.739726027,297,98,Academy converter,No religious character,4.5,Selective,Urban: Nearer to a major town or city,No,E14001438,Reading Central,136449,7View the official source
Applicants per place3.4Applicants per place, 2026 entryChecked 16 Oct 2026 against Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics).The source says: 202627,Academic year,School,E92000001,England,E12000008,South East,870,E06000038,Reading,Secondary,8705401,z,4,Reading School,146,146,141,2,3,492,400,42,29,2.8368794326241136,2.739726027,297,98,Academy converter,No religious character,4.5,Selective,Urban: Nearer to a major town or city,No,E14001438,Reading Central,136449,7View the official source

Source: Department for Education (Explore Education Statistics), checked

About these figures

There is no single number to look up. The eligible standard is reset every year, so a score that was enough for one year's boys tells you little about the next.

We have not yet checked any past score or allocation figures for Reading School against the school's own records, so none are shown here. We will add them once we have.

At a glance

Reading School in brief

tap a value for its source

Pupils
boysPupilsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: Reading School is a selective boys' grammar school.View the official source
Who the school admits.
School type
academySchool typeChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: Reading School (‘the School’) is a designated grammar school and operates as a single-sex academy.View the official source
How the school is run and funded.
Year 7 places
150Year 7 placesChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: The Published Admissions Number (PAN) is 150.View the official source2027 entry
The (PAN): how many children the school plans to admit.
the Governing BodyAdmission authorityChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: The Governing Body is the admissions authority and follows the School Admissions Code 2021.View the official source
Who sets the admission rules and decides who is offered a place.
A mapped area (see the admission rules)
Where children get priority. Living inside it does not by itself mean a place.
Supplementary Information Form (SIF)
Yes, for this school
An extra form some schools ask for. It goes to the school, not the council.

Key dates

Dates for September 2027 entry

For children in Year 6 in 2026/27.

Add to my calendar

Reading School

  1. Done: Test registration closes

    11:59pm

  2. Done: Test day

  3. Next: School place applications close (CAF)

    in 11 days

  4. Coming up: Results

    Expected

  5. Coming up: National Offer Day

  6. Not published yet: Test registration opens

    Not yet published

  7. Not published yet: Appeal deadline

    Not yet published

Year 5 now? Dates for September 2028 entryNone of these dates are published yet.

  1. Not published yet: Test registration opens

    Not yet published

  2. Not published yet: Test registration closes

    Not yet published

  3. Not published yet: Test day

    Not yet published

  4. Not published yet: Results

    Not yet published

  5. Not published yet: School place applications close: Common Application Form (CAF)

    Not yet published

  6. Not published yet: National Offer Day

    Not yet published

  7. Not published yet: Appeal deadline

    Not yet published

Notes on these dates

Which address counts. Reading School uses your son's home address on the day of the July test (Thursday 16 July 2026Reading School: Address date (where your child must live) (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: Candidates with an eligible score whose main home address is within the catchment area on the July 2026 entrance test day and whose main address continues to be in the catchment area at National Offer Day 2027View the official source), and he must still live there on National Offer Day. Results come online, and by email whether an eligible score was achievedReading School 2027 entry: Results methodChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: You will be notified whether your child has achieved an eligible score by email by mid-October 2026.View the official source.

How places are given

6 admission rules, in order, for 2027 entry

If more children qualify than there are places, Reading School gives places using these rules (its ), in this order (2027 entry).

  1. 1

    Priority places: looked-after and previously looked-after boys; in-catchment pupil or service premium; in-catchment social or welfare need; children of staff (eligible score 5 marks lower for the first three)

    The policy's own words
    Category 1: Priority Places
  2. 2

    Sporting aptitude: up to 15 places (day and boarding) for eligible boys who pass the sporting aptitude threshold

    The policy's own words
    Category 2: Sporting Aptitude (up to 15 places across Day and Boarding)
  3. 3

    Reading feeder schools: up to 50% of remaining places for boys at state primaries within 4.6 miles of the Erleigh Road gate who live in the priority postcodes

    The policy's own words
    Category 3: Reading Feeder Schools (up to 50% of remaining places)
  4. 4

    Reading priority postcodes (RG1, RG2, RG30, RG31, RG4, RG5, RG6, RG7, RG8, RG9, RG10, RG40, RG41): up to 80% of remaining places, by score

    The policy's own words
    Category 4: Reading Priority Postcodes (up to 80% of remaining places)
  5. 5

    Rest of the catchment area, by score

    The policy's own words
    Category 5: Catchment Area (remaining places)
  6. 6

    All other eligible boys, including those outside the catchment area

    The policy's own words
    Category 6: All Other Eligible Candidates

Source: Reading School, checked

Who qualifies
an 'eligible score' set each year by the Governors' Admissions Committee; a boy must be of the standard in every element (no compensation between elements)Source: Reading School, checked
Catchment
catchment: RG1, RG2, RG30, RG31, RG4, RG5, RG6, RG7, RG8, RG9, RG10, RG40, RG41 plus RG12, RG14, RG18, RG19, RG26, RG27, RG42, RG45, GU15, GU17, GU19, GU46, GU47, OX10, SL4, SL5Source: Reading School, checked
If two children are level for the last place
highest Discovery-paper score; then straight-line distance; then a random number generator run by an independent person from the local authoritySource: Reading School, checked
Brothers and sisters
No priority for brothers and sisters.Source: Reading School, checked
Pupil premium
in-catchment pupil premium and service premium boys are in Category 1 with an eligible score 5 marks below the usual scoreSource: Reading School, checked
Supplementary form
Online test registration directly with Reading School (via Applicaa), with sections for special arrangements, sporting aptitude, looked-after, PP/SP and social/welfare need (boarding: boarding need, plus suitability assessment incl. a Supplementary Information Form). Separate from the local authority (LA) CAF.Source: Reading School, checked
Waiting list
Automatic for eligible applicants not offered a higher preference; ordered by the oversubscription categories; re-ranked 1 April 2027; held by the LA until 31 August 2027 and by the school until 31 January 2028 (then a separate in-year test).Source: Reading School, checked
Address used
The address you live at on Thursday 16 July 2026 is the one that counts.Source: Reading School, checked

The admission rules for September 2028 entry are not published yet. We check the school's website and add them when they appear.

More detail from our guide

2027 entry. The day admissions policy for September 2027 is determinedReading School: Document status (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: our revised policy (approved by governors this week) better preserves our core aimView the official source. When more boys reach the eligible standard than there are places, offers are made in this order: (1) Priority places: looked-after and previously looked-after boys; in-catchment pupil or service premium; in-catchment social or welfare need; children of staff (eligible score 5 marks lower for the first three). (2) Sporting aptitude: up to 15 places (day and boarding) for eligible boys who pass the sporting aptitude threshold. (3) Reading feeder schools: up to 50% of remaining places for boys at state primaries within 4.6 miles of the Erleigh Road gate who live in the priority postcodes. (4) Reading priority postcodes (RG1, RG2, RG30, RG31, RG4, RG5, RG6, RG7, RG8, RG9, RG10, RG40, RG41): up to 80% of remaining places, by score. (5) Rest of the catchment area, by score. (6) All other eligible boys, including those outside the catchment area.Reading School: Oversubscription criteria (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: the following priority order until the PAN is reachedView the official source

Is the order within a category decided by test score? YesReading School: Ranked by score (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: These places will be ranked according to their standardised test score.View the official source. Some categories are capped at a share of the remaining places, as the list shows, so where a boy lives and which primary he attends matter alongside his score.

  • Catchment area: catchment: RG1, RG2, RG30, RG31, RG4, RG5, RG6, RG7, RG8, RG9, RG10, RG40, RG41 plus RG12, RG14, RG18, RG19, RG26, RG27, RG42, RG45, GU15, GU17, GU19, GU46, GU47, OX10, SL4, SL5Reading School 2027 entry: DescriptionChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: Candidates with an eligible score whose main home address is within the catchment area on the July 2026 entrance test day and whose main address continues to be in the catchment area at National Offer Day 2027: RG1, RG2, RG30, RG31, RG4, RG5, RG6, RG7, RG8, RG9, RG10, RG40, RG41 plus RG12, RG14, RG18, RG19, RG26, RG27, RG42, RG45, GU15, GU17, GU19, GU46, GU47, OX10, SL4, SL5.View the official source
  • Feeder primaries (category 3): the day policy names the qualifying state primaries. Its list and the school's Year 7 page give different counts, so we are checking; look for your son's school by name in the policy.
  • Children of staff (category 1): the school's documents describe the employment condition differently. We are checking which applies.
  • Pupil premium and service premium: in-catchment pupil premium and service premium boys are in Category 1 with an eligible score 5 marks below the usual scoreReading School: Pp priority (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: Pupil Premium or Service Premium: who live in the catchment area and are entitled to the Pupil Premium or Service Premium grant. The eligible score for these candidates is 5 marks below the usual eligible score.View the official source.
  • Boarding: the 12Reading School: Boarding placesChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: An additional 12 boarding places are available, allocated in line with the school’s separate Boarding Admissions Policy.View the official source weekly boarding places are allocated under the school's separate boarding policy.
  • Ties: highest Discovery-paper score; then straight-line distance; then a random number generator run by an independent person from the local authorityReading School: Tie break (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: If two or more candidates within an oversubscription criteria achieve the same overall score, priority will be given to the child who scores highest in the Discovery paper.View the official source. Distance is measured as a straight line from home to Reading SchoolReading School: Distance rule (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: Priority will be given based on which candidate lives closest to Reading School in a straight-line distance.View the official source.
  • Sibling priority: NoReading School: Sibling priority (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: the following priority order until the PAN is reachedView the official source.

2028 entry: the admissions policy is Reading School: Document status (2028)Not yet published by Reading School; last checked 9 Oct 2026.The source says: The admissions policies for 2027 entry have been finalised and approved by the School Governing Board and can be viewed below.View the official source, and the catchment for that year is Reading School 2028 entry: DescriptionNot yet published by Reading School; last checked 9 Oct 2026.The source says: The admissions policies for 2027 entry have been finalised and approved by the School Governing Board and can be viewed below.View the official source. We have not seen any Reading School dates for 2028 entry yet.

The test

The entrance test
Test date, 2027 entry
Thursday 16 July 2026

Reading School's entrance test is written by FSCE (Future Stories Community Enterprise)Reading School entrance test (FSCE): Test providerChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: Please click on the link below to find out more about the FSCE Tests:View the official source. Its 4Reading School entrance test (FSCE): Paper countChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: The test consists of four papers: Adventure, Beacon, Compass, and Discovery.View the official source papers are called Adventure; Beacon; Compass; DiscoveryReading School entrance test (FSCE): PapersChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: The test consists of four papers: Adventure, Beacon, Compass, and Discovery. These include multiple choice, constrained response and written questionsView the official source, and the question types are mixedReading School entrance test (FSCE): Answer formatChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: These include multiple choice, constrained response and written questionsView the official source, with some written answers as well as multiple choice. The content is pitched at Key Stage 2 up to and including the Year 5 programme of study; plus thinking like an author, problem solving and thinking creativelyReading School entrance test (FSCE): Curriculum basisChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: Children are expected to show ability appropriate to the Key Stage 2 curriculum, up to and including the Year 5 programme of study. No additional preparation is necessary.View the official source. Because the main sitting comes at the end of Year 5, nothing from the Year 6 curriculum is expected.

The "every element" rule. There is no fixed score published in advance. Instead, the school uses an 'eligible score' set each year by the Governors' Admissions Committee; a boy must be of the standard in every element (no compensation between elements)Reading School: Qualifying rule (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: To be eligible, a candidate must be 'of the standard' in each of the elements of the entrance test. They may score highly on one area but if they perform poorly on another, they will not be classed as eligible.View the official source. So a boy who does very well on most of the test but falls short on one part will not be eligible, however high his total. Scores are standardised with age adjustment; element weightings set annuallyReading School entrance test (FSCE): StandardisationChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: All test data will be used to produce standardised scores, with age adjustments applied. The school may apply weightings to different elements of the test, which are set annually.View the official source.

Preparation. The school provides familiarisation guides for children and parents; no practice or past papersReading School entrance test (FSCE): Familiarisation materialsChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: Please note: there are no commercially available practice test papers for the FSCE Ltd tests.View the official source. Our page on FSCE past papers explains why none exist, and the FSCE papers explained walks through each one.

Who sits when, for 2027 entry:

  • Boys living in the catchment area, and boarding applicants: the main sitting at Reading School on Thursday 16 July 2026Reading School 2027 entry: Test dateChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: In July of Year 5 for candidates living within the catchment area at the time of registration and [...] those registered for a boarding place. The proposed date is 16 July.View the official source, in Year 5Reading School 2027 entry: Year group at testChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: In July of Year 5 for candidates living within the catchment area at the time of registration and [...] those registered for a boarding place.View the official source. Boys with special arrangements sat in a separate session.
  • Day applicants living outside the catchment area: a later sitting, early in Year 6. The school's documents describe this sitting in different ways, so we are checking with the school how and where it runs before we give details.
  • Sporting aptitude applicants: a separate sport assessment as well as the test. One school document gives a different date for it from the others, so we are checking which is right.

Registering. For 2027 entry, families had to register with the school online (Applicaa form) between late March and 17 May 2026Reading School: Registration route (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: The online entrance test registration form for 2027 entry will be available from Friday 27th March to midnight on Sunday 17th May 2026.View the official source. The school's documents give different opening dates for the form, which we are checking; it closed on Sunday 17 May 2026, midnightReading School 2027 entry: Registration closesChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: Registration for the entrance exam for 2027 entry closed at midnight on 17th May 2026.View the official source. Registering for the test is separate from naming the school on your council application.

How the Reading test works

Open days

Next: Eligible Candidates Open Afternoon (boarding), October 2026

  1. Done: Year 7 Open Day (2027 entry), four sessions by postcode area (passed)

    8.30am-3.30pm in four sessions

  2. Coming up: Eligible Candidates Open Afternoon (boarding)

Source: Reading School, checked

If you are refused a place

Reviews, appeals and the waiting list

General information, not legal advice.

How appeals work
Independent Appeal Panel; for 2026 entry the deadline was 30 March 2026 and hearings are normally in May or JuneSource: Reading School, checked

General information, not legal advice.

Your home council sends offers on National Offer Day (Monday 1 March 2027Reading School 2027 entry: National Offer DayChecked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: Offer Date from your Local Authority: | 1st MarchView the official source). If your son is refused a place at Reading School, the route is an Independent Appeal Panel; for 2026 entry the deadline was 30 March 2026 and hearings are normally in May or JuneReading School: Appeals route (2027)Checked 9 Oct 2026 against Reading School.The source says: If your child is not offered a place at the school of your choice, you have a right to appeal against this decision to an Independent Appeal Panel.View the official source. The school puts appeal details for each year on its website after National Offer Day, so the 2027-entry deadline is not out yet.

An appeal is a fresh look at the decision, not a second test. Panels for full grammar schools turn down many appeals, so it helps to have a second choice your son would be glad to take. Our grammar school appeals guide sets out the steps.

Official documents and sources

13 sources, each kept as an archived copy

ExamKind is independent. We are not connected with Reading School, its council or any test provider, and nobody pays to appear on this page. How we check facts · Report an error on this page