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 11-18 selective girls’ school with academy status. It has a local and national reputation as an outstanding school and has an impressive record of achievement as a centre of excellence for girls’ education.
In its last five OFSTED inspections, Kendrick was judged an “outstanding” school. In our most recent inspection in November 2022, OFSTED stated "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.
Kendrick is a forward-looking school that grasps the opportunities that present themselves. A love of learning is at the heart of Kendrick with a strong emphasis on high-quality teaching. The curriculum is organised to meet the needs of all students and is engaging, rich and ambitious. All staff are hardworking and dedicated; students are bright, enthusiastic and curious; they love being at their school.
At Kendrick, students enjoy a rich and varied extracurricular education. The House System provides opportunities for healthy competition with numerous annual house events, which are key activities in the school year. Kendrick Student Leaders work energetically and collaboratively with staff to support this vital community element of the school. In addition, we have a School Council, which discusses and drives change for students.
Safeguarding and students’ mental health and wellbeing are prioritised above all else. As stated by Ofsted in November 2022, ‘The arrangements for Safeguarding are effective at Kendrick’ and ‘there is a culture of vigilance’ where ‘staff care deeply about pupils’ wellbeing’.
As part of Kendrick’s Widening Horizons strategic initiative, we actively pursue partnerships with schools and businesses in our local area and beyond. These associations benefit the students of Kendrick, as well as those in neighbouring schools. We share our good practice and offer opportunities to work with primary and secondary schools in the Reading area.
Kendrick has expanded in recent years, a process that started in September 2020 and finished in September 2024 when an additional 32 students joined Kendrick in all year groups making Kendrick a four-form entry school for Years 7-11. This year the majority of the 128 students from Year 11 have moved into our sixth form, and we have welcomed an additional 40 students from other schools, making the whole school roll, 940 students, the largest the school has ever been. In our admission arrangements and policies, priority is given to pupil premium students and students living in the Reading area, which is called Priority Area 1. Our Widening Horizons initiative commits us to achieving greater participation and access for students from local primary schools and the local area. In July 2024 and again in July 2025, we were awarded the Sutton Trust Fair School Admissions Award at Gold level. This demonstrates our commitment to fair admissions and is a great accolade for the school to receive which we are immensely proud of.
As the Headteacher of Kendrick, it is my vision to lead, inspire and make a difference to the lives of girls and young women. I believe passionately in girls’ education and know that Kendrick School affords its students the very best education there is.
Ms Christine Kattirtzi
Headteacher
September 2025
Weekly UPDATE - FRIDAY 26th JUNE 2026
Please click here for previous weekly updates.
WEEKLY UPDATE – FRIDAY 26th JUNE 2026
Letter from Ms Kattirtzi, Headteacher
It has been an interesting week. I don’t believe that in my professional career we have been challenged by summer weather that has impacted our systems and processes in such a way that we have had to make the decision to close the school. Leaders make decisions with the best interests of the community they serve and this week it is with the welfare and a duty of care that we have taken the decisions we have. Thank you to parents and students who have expressed their thoughts and opinions about what we should do which have been considered in the wider picture and information we have of the school community. Forecasts suggest that the extreme temperatures will come down next week and we will return to seasonally normal conditions for the rest of the term. Quite rightly there are calls for a longer-term climate strategy to equip public places, workplaces, transport, and homes for the changes to climate, not just here in the UK but globally. Perhaps some of our students will lead or contribute to this thinking and action for the future. In the meantime, we manage as best we can.
This is the week when key educational milestones in students’ and parents’ lives take place. On Monday we said goodbye to our Year 13 students and parents at a special and very well attended tea party in the school Hall, a place that has so many memories for every student and parent. Several parents spoke to me to express their sincere thanks and gratitude for all that the school has done for their child over the years they have been at Kendrick. Some could recall the Open Day back in 2018 and the first time they walked into the school, September 2019 and for some who joined in Year 12, September 2024. A few were even able to recall words I had said to parents and students in speeches they heard at the time. This further reinforces my strong belief in the power and influence and therefore the responsibility we have towards the students we have in our care for the time they are with us. Many parents looked proud and happy that their child, now young adult, had got through this period of their life and were now full of hope and promise for the future. There were feelings of joy and sadness as we wished the students and their families well in their next steps. For me it was also a key event, being the last of these I will preside over which of course has a very personal impact as I think of the many hundreds of students, I have said goodbye to over the years I have been at Kendrick. These are cherished moments and memories for all of us. We will see Year 13 students again in August when they receive their A Level results and then again in December when they return to school to receive their certificates.
At the other end of the school, we should have met the parents of prospective new Year 7 students, but this event had to be cancelled, and we will arrange an online meeting for them before the end of term. We were able to bring into school prospective Year 7 students on Tuesday for an induction session, and Ms Hyde, their Key Stage Leader, welcomed them to our school. Full of excitement as well as some trepidation, the students had a wonderful day at Kendrick. They have a two-day summer school to look forward to later in July which will give them even more insight and understanding of Kendrick and prepare them for their start in September.
Elsewhere preparations are in progress for the end of term and plans are being made for the new academic year. An online Transition Day took place for students who have applied to our Sixth Form for September 2026 entry. They received talks from Mrs Hearn Head of Sixth Form and her team and from Dr Perry and Ms Le Croissette. Our current Year 12 have an important week ahead, called Futures Week where they begin the process of planning their future choices after Kendrick. Other year groups will soon be meeting their new tutor for next year and for Year 9 an important transition will be to Key Stage 4 and the formal start of their GCSE courses. There is change for everyone and the prospect of a new start.
Website links this week are related to:
Please support the Summer Fair this year, which is on Saturday 4th July, just over a week away; I believe it will be quite a special one and for me my last Summer Fair!
I will be writing to parents/carers in the next couple of weeks, separately from the Weekly Update, regarding some changes we have planned for the school next year. As well as the leadership changes, there is new guidance from the Department for Education (DfE) for September 2026 on mobile phone use in schools and the anticipated changes to social media for under 16s which is expected in the Spring of 2027; changes to uniform and the requirements of this; library opening hours which will change next year.
Thank you again to everyone for your support and cooperation this week.
Wishing everyone a pleasant weekend,
Ms Christine Kattirtzi
Headteacher
School Notices
INSET Day – Friday 3rd July 2026
Friday 4th July 2026 is an INSET day and school will be closed to all students.
Kendrick School Summer Concert, Thursday 9th July 2026
Our Summer Concert will feature a range of songs from Carnatic Vocal Ensemble and Chamber Choir, with instrumental music from films and musicals and more. All of the school’s main ensembles will perform, including Wind Orchestra, Jazz Band and all of Year 9 singing as a choir. Furthermore, our staff band, No Direction will be joining forces with Mass Choir to entertain you whilst we also welcome our new beginner Brass Ensemble too. Additionally, this will be Ms Kattirtzi’s final concert at Kendrick and it would be wonderful to fill the audience to show our gratitude to her on this momentous occasion. We expect the concert to finish at approximately 8.45pm.
Please note that refreshments, including our famous samosas, will be available from KPS before the concert.
Please may we remind you that no parking is available on the school site unless you have a disability. If this is the case, please contact Reception.
Tickets: Our Summer concert tends to sell out quickly and tickets will be going on sale from Friday 26th June 4 p.m. Tickets will NOT be available before this time, and you will receive an error message if you click the link. We therefore urge you to order them via the link below as soon as possible through Evolve Shop, once open, in order to avoid disappointment. Tickets cost £5.00. In the first instance, tickets will be restricted to five per family. We politely ask for you not to leave ticket requests or queries until the day of the concert.
https://evolve.edufocus.co.uk/shop/shop_item_public.asp?site=rbcvisits&estab=3359&id=6819
Please note that no printed tickets will be provided, but you must present proof of purchase e.g. an EVOLVE receipt on a mobile phone. This will be checked on the door when arriving at the School Hall. There may be some tickets available on the door, but this can’t be guaranteed.
We look forward to seeing many of you at the concert.
School Meals Increase
From 2nd November 2026, the cost of a school meal will increase to £3.03.
Safeguarding
Safeguarding at Kendrick School
Using After-School Clubs, Tuition and Community Activities If your child attends an extra-curricular activity such as additional tuition, sports of social club you need to ensure that your child is in safe, capable hands throughout this process. This Gov.uk advice and guidance explain what these settings should be doing to provide a safe environment for your child and how you can raise concerns if needed.
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Mental Health and Wellbeing at Kendrick School
Heatwave: how to cope in hot weather. Source: NHS
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 Spring/Summer 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.
Week commencing 29th June 2026 – Week A
Monday 29th June Year 10 Geography Rivers Trip
Tuesday 30th June UCAS Parents’ Information Evening
Friday 3rd June INSET Day, school closed to students
Student Careers and Work Experience
No current vacancies
ParentPay and Evolve Reminders
Latest Reminders for ParentPay and Evolve
Kendrick Parents' Society (KPS)
Weekly News – Friday 26th June 2026
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 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