Kendrick School 11 Plus (11+) Exam Guide

About Kendrick School

Kendrick School is a grammar school for girls aged 11-18 in Reading, Berkshire, and one of the highest-performing state schools in the country. In 2022, Ofsted rated Kendrick School ‘Outstanding’ in every category and reported that ‘Pupils and sixth formers are justly proud of their school’. [1]

The school takes pride in its exam results and leavers’ destinations. In 2022, 128 students gained their first choice university place and 75% of A Level grades were A*-A. At GCSE, 83% of grades awarded were 9-8. [2]

Every student is taught the full National Curriculum, with a wide variety of subjects including English literature, several modern foreign languages, Latin and religious studies. [3]

Aside from the academic record, Kendrick School offers a wide variety of extra and co-curricular opportunities, including chess, debating, Greek, sports options, yoga, drama, and an array of choirs and bands. [4]

The school also has well-established PSHCE and Citizenship programmes, delivered to all students across the school. Pupils receive career advice through these programmes and take part in an integrated work experience scheme. [5]

Key information for 2027 entry to Kendrick School at 11 Plus (11+)

• School type: girls’ grammar school
• Registration: opened May 2026, closed at midnight on 1 July 2026
• Entrance test date: September 2026
• Test provider: GL Assessment, who carry out all the marking and standardisation
• Places available: 128 in Year 7 for September 2027 entry
• CAF deadline: 31 October 2026
• National Offer Day: 1 March 2027
• Contact details: 0118 9015859, [email protected], www.kendrick.reading.sch.uk

Admissions information for 2027 entry to Kendrick School at 11 Plus (11+)

If you are unable to attend an open event at Kendrick School, you can find two video tours of the school here and here.

Kendrick School changed its admission policies in 2023. The school is no longer part of a consortium, so its entrance test is not shared with other grammar schools. Kendrick now uses GL Assessment as its test provider.

Results are made available around early October, and parents then fill out their local authority’s Common Application Form (CAF) by its deadline on 31 October 2026. You must name Kendrick School on your CAF, and the order you place schools on your CAF is your order of preference.

Admission into Kendrick School is extremely competitive, and your child is not guaranteed a place in Year 7 based on the entrance exam results alone. There are 128 available spaces in Year 7 for September 2027 entry.

The school has a set of oversubscription criteria; offers are made in the following order:

• Looked after, or previously looked after, children
• The permanent home of the child is within Priority Area 1 or 2 and the applicant receives Pupil Premium or Service Premium (an appendix of the designated area postcodes can be found here)
• The permanent home of the child is within Priority Area 1
• The permanent home of the child is within Priority Area 2
• Applicants whose permanent home address is not in the designated area of the school

How can I register my child for the 11 Plus (11+) exams at Kendrick School?

Registration for 2027 entry has closed: the school’s online admission form, available from the school’s website, was due by midnight on 1 July 2026. For children who are registered, the steps that remain are:

1. Your child sits the entrance test in September 2026.
2. Results are made available around early October 2026.
3. Apply through your local authority’s Common Application Form (CAF) by 31 October 2026, naming Kendrick School.
4. Offers are made on National Offer Day, 1 March 2027.

What is the 11 Plus (11+) entrance exam format for Kendrick School?

The entrance exam for Kendrick School consists of two papers, each one hour long, with questions covering a combination of these topics:

• English
• Maths
• Non-verbal reasoning
• Verbal reasoning

All the marking and standardisation for these papers is carried out by the test provider, GL Assessment.

There is no creative writing element to the admission tests.

Kendrick School 11 Plus (11+) top tips for your child

• Practise all four tested areas: English, maths, verbal reasoning and non-verbal reasoning.
• Each paper is an hour long, so build up to full-length timed practice before the exam.
• If you are stuck on a question, note its number and move on. You can come back to it if you have time left at the end.
• There is no creative writing task, so put your preparation time into the four areas above.

How to prepare your child for the 11 Plus (11+) Kendrick School exam

The most useful way to prepare for Kendrick School’s 11+ entrance exam is to use practice tests to familiarise your child with the exam content and format. These tests can help your child to build their confidence and improve their performance in the exam.

For Kendrick School 11+ preparation, we recommend the following packs:

Our Kendrick School Practice Tests 1-20, released August 2026, are written for the GL Assessment entrance exam. Each practice test includes two papers, matching the structure of the real test: Verbal Skills, and Mathematical and Non-Verbal Skills. Every test comes with answers and detailed explanations, including step-by-step explanations for the maths questions.

View all Kendrick School papers