Friday 21st November 2025

Letter from Ms Kattirtzi, Headteacher

On Tuesday afternoon we celebrated our Year 12 students and their GCSE successes from last summer. At a ceremony to which parents and students were invited, the students received their GCSE certificates. The Guest of Honour this year was a former student from last year’s Year 13, Wallaree. As is the tradition, Wallaree spoke to the students about her experiences and gave them some sensible pieces of advice. She said: 

• It’s ok to not know what you want to do in the future – use your time to explore your options. 
• Use the expertise and knowledge of everyone around you – teachers, staff, sixth form team and trust the process
• Practise as many new skills as you can to speak up and out, to organise yourself, to increase your confidence as these skills will help you at university and in life.
• Embrace all the opportunities available to you – get involved in clubs societies
• Always ask for help and support if you need it, people will respond to you if you ask. 

Wallaree also talked about her own experience at Kendrick; she was appointed as a member of the Kendrick Student Leadership Team and as leader of the Community Committee she developed and exercised skills which she said are invaluable to her now at university. In the sixth form, Wallaree pursued her passions studying Biology, Chemistry French and German at A Level and at the time she thought she wanted to be a Food Technologist. Wallaree is now studying Modern Foreign Languages at the University of Oxford and said she really does not know what she wants to do in the future but is loving university and pursuing her love of languages. At Kendrick Wallaree did so much in her role in the KSLT which included working on our Widening Horizons programme with less advantaged students from local primary schools to help and support them in their Year 6 work and their application to Kendrick. Wallaree’ s father also made a significant contribution to Kendrick by serving on the KPS committee for many years. Thank you to Wallaree and her family.

In my speech to the students, as well as congratulating them on their superb results, I reminded them what a special and significant cohort they are to us. They are the students that joined us in the middle of covid, September 2020, when many restrictions were in place which they managed so well. Also, they were the first of our expanded cohort of 128 students. From September 2020 onwards we were able to take an additional 32 students year on year following our successful bid to expand our school. Unable to resist, I gave the students and parents a little history of this significant strategic development for our school which goes back almost 10 years when the then Prime Minister, Mrs May said that grammar schools could expand. This idea was something that had been off the political table for the previous 20 years. However, to expand, schools needed to apply to the government and demonstrate how they could increase the number of local children and children from less well-off backgrounds, attending their school – the original remit of grammar schools. We made an application immediately and submitted our plans in July 2018.  39 other grammar schools applied, and we were one of the 16 that was successful. We were then given a capital sum for our new building to house the extra students. Horizons was built through the covid period so that in September 2020 we were able to welcome the increased number of Year 7 students – hence they are a special cohort! At the time, there were pessimists who said the school will get too big, it won’t be the nice small school that everyone loves, plus standards will go down! Well, students’ results last summer showed that that did not happen and Kendrick has continued to thrive and be enriched by the additional students we have been able to take since the expansion process began. In simple terms, more girls can access our outstanding education, be nurtured and thrive and go on to do great things as I am sure this cohort will do.

As I have often mentioned in previous updates, the success of our students academically is due to several factors, their ability is key, their parents and family are vital, but also the support and guidance they get in school academically and pastorally from the staff. Next week we have the first of our three days of profiling across this academic year. For new parents this is a day when students can have a one-to-one quality conversation with their tutor based on their report data and consider how they are getting on, what they rightly celebrate and where they need to make some changes. Students can also share any worries or concerns they may have. These are vital conversations which generate information to enable us to get to know students and support them. This year the profiling sessions for several year groups is taking place in school and the cohorts coming to school will be involved in sessions ranging from study skills in Year 7, PSHCE activities for Year 8, Core RS sessions for Year 10 and half of Year 11 are in school completing NEA work. Years 9, 12 and 13 are working at home on designated tasks. Before the end of term in December, reports will be sent to parents so that the conversations and follow up actions can be discussed. Also, parents will have an opportunity to talk to individual teachers at the scheduled parent consultation meetings which take place across the year. All parents have been informed of these arrangements.

Next week we also look forward to what is known as Fringe Fortnight, a series of events run by the KSL, Community Committee. Students have been informed and there are so many fun events that will be taking place. Of course, these events have am important side to them, which is to bring our community together, get students involved and mixing within and across years and reconfirming our community spirit.

Finally, as we approach the festive season all students and staff have been invited to contribute in some way to two local charities, Reading Family Aid and the Woodley Food Cupboard. Each tutor group will aim to collect two boxes of gifts, one for each charity. A list of suitable items for the Reading Family Aid ‘Toys and Teens’ can be found here. For the Food Cupboard, non-perishable foods, Christmas treats, cleaning products and toiletries would all be gratefully received. Please don’t donate anything with nuts or other allergens. It would be wonderful if all students and families can contribute something to this appeal to help local teenagers and families in need over the Christmas holiday. We are aiming to collect all donations by Friday 28^th November if possible.

Wishing everyone a good weekend.  

Ms Christine Kattirtzi
Headteacher

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Important Notice:

If your child is unwell. please ensure that you report their absence from school by no later than 9am each day they are off unwell.  If your child is absent from school, and we have not been informed, we will send a message via School Gateway.   We will ask you to contact the school to give the reason for their absence.  If we do not receive a response by the end of the school day, the absence will be recorded as unauthorised.

You can report an absence as follows:

Via School Gateway

• Click Notify in the top right of the Attendance screen
• Type your message, including the date of the absence and explanation
• Click Send in the top right of the screen
• School Gateway will update once your school confirms your notification and updates the system

Via Email 

If you cannot use the School Gateway App, please email admin@kendrick.reading.sch.uk 

Safeguarding
Safeguarding at Kendrick School
What Parents Need to Know about TikTok

Wellbeing
Mental Health and Wellbeing at Kendrick School
Article on National Self-Care Week

Latest News on our Website

School Calendar

Week commencing 24th November

• Wednesday 26th November -GCSE Drama Trip to Wicked; Widening Horizons Information Evening
• Thursday 27th November - Profiling Day; Trustee Resources Committee
• Friday 28th November - CCF Years 9-13 Event at Reading School

Please read the email sent to you this week regarding the arrangements for Profiling Day on Thursday 27th November. 

Student Careers and Work Experience
Current Opportunities

Vacancies
English and Drama Teacher on a short term contract - January - July 2026

ParentPay and Evolve Reminders
Reminders on Friday 21st November 2025

Kendrick Parents' Society (KPS)
Weekly News - 21st November 2025

 

 

On behalf of the trustee body, I would like to welcome everyone to the 2025-2026 academic year. I particularly welcome students joining us for the first time who will get the support they need to settle in quickly and make a positive contribution to the school.

As trustees, we are responsible for working with Ms Kattirtzi, Headteacher and the Senior Leadership Team to agree on the strategic direction of Kendrick. We assist with setting the school's vision, aims and objectives. To do this, we are organised into three committees – Learning & Teaching, Performance and Review, and Resources. Each of these committees meets regularly, and we meet as a full board three times a year. All the trustees are committed to supporting the ethos of the school, and many have direct experience of the school – as a student, the parent of a student or as a staff member.

We want to ensure that every student at Kendrick has the opportunity to thrive – academically, as a member of the school community, and in their personal development. Kendrick has something for everyone: a huge range of extracurricular activities including music, sports, and drama; opportunities to show leadership, as part of the School Council or the Student Leadership Team; and, of course, the chance to help others.

I do hope that you will take advantage of the opportunities to engage with the school. We are always keen to get your feedback, and as Chair of the Board of Trustees, I am always happy to hear from any of you. Please feel free to contact Lisa Hillan, Governance Officer to the Trustee Board lhillan@kendrick.reading.sch.uk if you would like to get in touch.

On behalf of the trustees, I wish everyone a successful year ahead.

With best wishes

Charles Ramsden
Chairman of the Board of Trustees

September 2025