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 16th OctobER 2026
Please click here for previous weekly updates.
WEEKLY UPDATE – FRIDAY 16TH OCTOBER 2026
We are already in the seventh week of term, and I am not sure where the time has flown to. In lessons I continue to be impressed by the consistently high quality of challenge and thinking that students and their teachers engage in across all subjects in the curriculum. As one Year 11 student told me in a lesson when I asked if she was thinking hard: “the work is challenging but in a good way”. Certainly, I see many very happy and hard-working students everywhere I look in lessons.
I am so delighted and grateful for the collective response that the school has made to this term’s food bank collection. I was there when the donation (a packed large carload) was made and I know what an extraordinary difference this will make to Reading families who are supported by the Whitley Food Cupboard.
Between lessons this week I have enjoyed watching netball matches, seeing our students supporting younger students at Refugee Club after school, watching a sheep’s brain being dissected, playing chess, constructing bridges in Engineering Club and so much more. I also want to mention the highly popular author visit made last Friday when Dr Mary Chambers visited to talk about her book The Kind Hosts of Willie Wimmera, which tells the true story of a 10-year-old Aboriginal Australian boy who was brought to Reading in the 1850s and is buried in Reading Cemetery.
In assemblies Year 7 had very valuable time exploring their ‘learning to learn’ and the Sixth Form met to think about how best to plan and use their study time.
Another busy and productive week. Floreat Kendrika indeed.
Mr Nick Simmonds
Headteacher
School Notices
Dropping off and picking up by car
Please remember, if you drop off or pick up your child from school by car, there is no stopping or parking anywhere on East Street at any time. We have also had reports of parents parking and stopping illegally on the London Road and Kendrick Road.
Thank you to those parents that do follow our guidance and park somewhere legal and safe to drop off and pick up their child.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding at Kendrick School
World Mental Health Day 2026. Talking about mental health can feel hard. Many of us worry about saying the wrong thing, and that can stop conversations before they begin. But these conversations matter. Download some free tips on how to talk, and listen, about mental health.
Talking about mental health - tip sheet
How to listen better - tip sheet
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Mental Health and Wellbeing at Kendrick School
Spending Time with Friends. Sometimes when we are feeling low or anxious it can be really easy to slowly stop getting out and seeing our friends as much as we used to. For some people, it can be really helpful to try and break that habit by purposefully spending more time with friends and people you get along with. Click here for some ideas of things to do with your friends.
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 can be found here. 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.
Widening Horizons – Gold Award from Sutton Trust
The Kind Hosts of Willie Wimmera
Week B
Monday 19th October Year 10 and 11 Latin trip to Bath
Tuesday 20th October KPS Online Meeting, 6pm – 7.15pm
Wednesday 21st October Upper School and Sixth Form Chamber Concert
Student Careers and Work Experience
CAREERS TALK - Meteorology: including Laura Tobin from Good Morning Britain – 11th November 2026 5pm to 6pm at The Abbey School in Reading
- Laura Tobin - Broadcast meteorologist and scientist, weather presenter on ITV’s Good Morning Britain and
- Professor Andrew Charlton-Perez OBE - Climate Scientist, Professor of Meteorology at the University of Reading.
This event is open to all students in the area. If you are interested in attending please complete this Eventbrite link. Please note this event is not affiliated with Kendrick School.
Exams Assistant closing date 2nd November 2026
ParentPay and Evolve Reminders
Latest Reminders for ParentPay and Evolve
KPS Updates
Please see the latest KPS newsletter here.
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 – either as a student or the parent of a student.
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