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".
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 letter from ms kattirtzi, headteacher
FRIDAY 12TH SEPTEMBER 2025
All students received a warm welcome from their key stage leaders at assemblies this week. In each key stage, Miss Hyde (KS3), Mme Hulley (KS4) and Mrs Hearn (KS5) spoke to their cohorts and outlined the calendar for the year and what activities and events they can look forward to. They also set out their expectations of the students. All emphasised the personal side of being part of the school community: taking part in extracurricular activities, supporting and encouraging each other and being kind and generous in their interactions with one another. On the academic side, homework was discussed, organisational habits and routines, as well as factors that aid good learning: sleep, healthy eating and exercise, which help maintain good attendance and punctuality. Clear expectations are vital for everyone, and I hope all students have done their own personal reflection on the expectations they have of themselves to help make this year go well for them.
Last night we welcomed our Year 12 parents and carers to school who met the Form Tutors and the Sixth Form Leadership Team, putting names to faces, so that communication and information sharing is made easier between school and home. Embarking on A Levels is a big step for students, and I hope the experience and understanding my colleagues they demonstrated to the parents gave them confidence about this next stage of the education of their children. This was the first of the parent information evenings we have this term with Year 7 parents invited in next week and Year 10 parents the following week. It is important to us to meet parents at these key points of a student’s life and for parents to meet the staff that will be with their children during their key stage.
I have heard and been told about several students who have done some amazing things over the summer holidays: educational trips abroad, competitions entered and won, music events attended and no doubt much more. I have asked those students to write an article about their exceptional activities so that I can share with you as well as put on the website. Some have interacted with international newspapers such as the Financial Times, others have written an academic article and assessed by professors at Oxford and one student has performed on television as part of her orchestra! There will be much to read in the coming weeks.
In our school calendar, you will have noticed that next Friday 19th September is our Admissions Day for Year 7 entry in September 2026. As the test day is on a school day, as last year, students will not attend school on that day. As always, we shall be testing many hundreds of students on that day, all aspiring and hoping to gain one of the 128 places we have at Kendrick. We are very aware of the huge popularity of our school locally and nationally. Our expansion over the last five years has enabled us to offer more places to students, in particular local disadvantaged students to enable some families and children to consider Kendrick in their plans for secondary education. This is part of our Widening Horizons strategic initiative which I refer to frequently and which we are very proud of. We are pleased that across all years and in the 6th Form, our student numbers have increased enabling us to provide a high-quality education and thus opportunities and choices for so many more girls/women. In addition, the work we do in Admissions has been recognised by the Sutton Trust and we have been given a Fair School Admissions Gold Award 2025-26 for the second year running, which acknowledges our work in this area.
Following on from the above, it is appropriate that I should mention the upcoming School Birthday which we will be celebrating in the week beginning 22nd September, one of the many highlights of the year for me. This is when we celebrate our school and acknowledge the importance of girls’ education. More about that next week.
Wishing everyone a pleasant weekend.
Ms Christine Kattirtzi
Headteacher
For the Weekly Update in full please click 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 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