Welcome
Ofsted report November 2022 "The Kendrick Pledge emphasises friendship, kindness, respect, equality, tolerance and justice, and these values underpin all that the school achieves. Pupils flourish in this exceptionally caring and inclusive learning environment. Secure, trusting relationships between staff and pupils ensure pupils feel very well supported and safe here. In turn, pupils’ excellent behaviour and impeccable manners make Kendrick a very special place to be".
To listen to an audio with staff and students talking about Kendrick's history, life at school and what the school means to us all, please click on the link below.
Kendrick Voices
Kendrick School is an 11 to 18 selective girls' school with academy status. With approximately 950 students on roll, it has a well-deserved local and national reputation for excellence.
Our vision at Kendrick is to be a centre of excellence where personal development is valued as highly as academic achievement. We are committed to providing a safe, exciting and inclusive environment where students can be themselves, develop self-confidence and discover their strengths. Kendrick is a place where every student feels a sense of belonging and can grow into a successful young adult while continuing to enjoy the opportunities and experiences of childhood.
We are proud to play an active role within the Reading community and beyond. Through initiatives such as the Widening Horizons Project, which engages students from local primary schools, we strive to make selective education more accessible to girls from all backgrounds.
At Kendrick, students and staff work together with confidence, curiosity and ambition. We challenge one another to think creatively, embrace innovation and pursue excellence in all that we do. We aim to be a school where everyone can lead, inspire and make a positive difference to the lives of girls and young women.
In its most recent Ofsted inspection, Kendrick School was judged to be Outstanding. Inspectors noted that: "Pupils and sixth-formers are justly proud of their school community. They delight in their learning and truly excel here. One parent spoke for many when reflecting, ‘The school does a great job of creating well-rounded, kind, human beings who will hopefully go on to make the world a better place. The academic results are important, of course, but far from the only focus.’ Inspectors totally agree.”
School life at Kendrick is busy and purposeful. Students work hard in lessons and take maximum benefit from every hour that they are taught. Staff value the engagement and motivation of students, as well as unwavering support of parents and carers. As a result, Kendrick is a rewarding place both to learn and to work.
Outside of lessons there is a very full programme of extra and super curricular opportunities including many clubs and societies, trips, challenges and competitions. Music, art, drama and sports all thrive in lessons as well as clubs and the House System gives students the chance to participate in events and competitions with students from other forms and year groups. It is a source of great joy to me how much the older students interact with and encourage the younger students at Kendrick. Kendrick Student Leaders exemplify this spirit through the creative and inclusive initiatives they lead.
As part of Kendrick’s community work, I am particularly proud of the Widening Horizons project that engages students from primary schools and the local area. In July 2024 and again in July 2025, we were awarded the Sutton Trust Fair School Admissions Award (Gold). This recognition reflects our commitment to fair and accessible admissions, and we are immensely proud of this achievement.
Whatever your connection with Kendrick School, I hope your experience is a positive one and that you see the same joy of learning, sense of purpose and spirit of community that I experience every day. Kendrick is truly a very special place to learn, work and grow.
Mr Nicholas Simmonds
Headteacher
September 2026
Weekly UPDATE - FRIDAY 4TH SEPTEMBER 2026
Please click here for previous weekly updates.
WEEKLY UPDATE – FRIDAY 4th SEPTEMBER 2026
Letter from Mr Simmonds, Headteacher
This week I had the great privilege of welcoming staff back to school for two highly productive INSET days before greeting all 950 students as they arrived on Thursday morning. Later that day, I shared my hopes and ambitions for the year ahead during our first whole-school assembly.
It was wonderful to see so many happy, confident and enthusiastic students coming through the gates, ready for a new school year. Any first-day nerves quickly seemed to disappear as students spent time with their form tutors and reconnected with friends. We even managed to fit in two lessons during the afternoon. On Friday morning, I emailed parents to welcome them back and to express my hope that I will have the opportunity to meet as many of them as possible over the coming year.
The school is looking fantastic. Our site team has worked incredibly hard over the summer to ensure that the grounds and buildings are clean, tidy and welcoming. As a school community, we have all committed to doing our part to keep them that way.
Some of the improvements completed during the summer are not immediately visible, particularly the significant work carried out on the school's IT network. Other developments are much easier to spot, including our expanded and refurbished medical room, which is already proving to be a valuable addition to the school.
The summer also gave us the opportunity to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our Year 11 and Year 13 students. Both cohorts achieved excellent examination results, and our Year 13 students were particularly successful in securing university places and other post-18 destinations. We look forward to welcoming many of them back in December for our A Level Certificate Presentation Evening.
The new term has begun with real energy and purpose, and there is a genuine sense of excitement across the school. With talented and dedicated students, exceptional staff and the unwavering support of our families, I am confident that this will be another successful and memorable year for Kendrick.
I wish everyone a happy, productive and enjoyable term ahead.
Mr Nicholas Simmonds
Headteacher
School Notices
Free School Meals
Thank you to those parents that have completed the Free School Meals form. We are working on the outcome of your application and will get back to you as soon as we can. In the meantime, any child that was receiving a free school meal last academic year will continue to receive one until we have the latest information. If you have yet to complete the form and you think your child may be eligible for a free school meal, or you are unsure of the new process, please click here for more information.
Messages to Students during the School Day
We would like to remind parents and carers that we are unable to deliver messages to students during the school day. This includes medical or dental appointments, so please do not make an appointment for your child that they are not already aware of.
This also means that Reception is unable to contact students to ask them to come to Reception to collect forgotten items, such as PE kit, lunch, books, glasses, homework, Food Tech products or other belongings. We appreciate that from time to time students may forget something, but with the size and organisation of the school, it is not possible for staff to locate and contact individual students during the school day. Please therefore encourage and support your child with organising themselves to ensure they bring everything they need with them each morning.
Thank you for your understanding and helping us keep Reception running efficiently for all students, parents and visitors.
Reporting a Student Absence
Please remind yourselves on how to report a student absence here. Before booking a holiday, please ensure you have checked our term dates here. Unless there are exceptional extenuating circumstances, time taken off in term time will be recorded on your child’s attendance record as unauthorised and the Attendance Support Officer (ASO) at Brighter Futures for Children will be informed.
Signing up to School Gateway
All school related communication, newsletters, reports, timetables, attendance figures, and school reports go through School Gateway – it is the central hub of information for our parents – so to stay up to date with what’s going on at school make sure you download the app for free. Just search School Gateway in your App store and download. For information on how to sign up to School Gateway, please click here.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding at Kendrick School
Back to School – Travel Safety and Modern Stranger Awareness. As we welcome students back for the new academic year, their safety and wellbeing remain our absolute priorities. To help you support your child as they transition back to school routines, please see some key advice on travel safety and modern stranger awareness here.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Mental Health and Wellbeing at Kendrick School
Back to School Wellbeing: Tips for Parents and Children
Reading’s SEND Local Offer. The SEND Local Offer is here to help you find information about local services, support, activities and events for children and young people aged 0 - 25 years who have special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).
School Fund
Please donate to our School Fund here. You can make one-off payments through your ParentPay account or complete a standing order form for more regular payments. If you are a UK taxpayer, please ensure you also complete a Gift Aid Form.
A school fund is maintained by voluntary contributions from the parents/carers of students. Its purpose is to provide an additional source of funding for the provision of facilities and educational resources for the benefit of students. We use our School Fund to support so many activities in and out of school that have now become essential to school life.
Canteen
The Autumn/Winter menu will be shared in due course. Please ensure that you regularly check your child's canteen balance on their ParentPay account and settle any 'overdrafts' quickly. Overdrafts should only be issued on an exceptional basis and not as a regular occurrence.
Week B
Thursday 10th September - Year 12 Welcome Evening
Student Careers and Work Experience
Attendance Officer and Administration Coordinator – Monday to Friday, 8am to 3.30pm, term time only.
ParentPay and Evolve Reminders
Latest Reminders for ParentPay and Evolve
Letter from Mr Charles Ramsden, Chair of the Board of Trustees
On behalf of the trustee body, I would like to welcome everyone to the 2026-2027 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 Mr Nicholas Simmonds, 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 2026