Key Facts
| Measure | Average Attainment 8 score (DfE key stage 4 performance data) |
|---|---|
| Data year | 2024/25 (final) |
| Schools ranked | 6 |
| Highest figure | Kendrick School, 84 |
| Area covered | Reading, Slough |
Figures correct at the time of writing. Confirm current fees and deadlines with the school or university directly.
The best grammar schools in Berkshire, ranked by average Attainment 8 score, begin with Kendrick School in Reading on 84, followed by Reading School on 83, Upton Court Grammar School in Slough on 79.9 and Langley Grammar School on 77.6. Both Reading schools record 100 per cent of pupils at grade 5 or above in English and maths, and the Slough and Langley schools sit between 98.1 and 99.4 per cent on the same measure.
Six state grammar schools are ranked, all on one measure: the average Attainment 8 score from the latest DfE key stage 4 performance tables, which counts each pupil's grades across eight GCSE-level qualifications with English and maths double-weighted, to a maximum of 90. Schools on the same figure would share a rank, and the table also shows the English and maths grade 5 percentage and the DfE's average A level grade where one is published.
Which grammar schools in Berkshire have the best GCSE results?
| Rank | School | Town | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ in English and maths (%) | A level average grade | Pupils |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kendrick School | Reading | 84 | 100 | B+ | Girls |
| 2 | Reading School | Reading | 83 | 100 | A | Boys |
| 3 | Upton Court Grammar School | Slough | 79.9 | 99.4 | B+ | Co-educational |
| 4 | Langley Grammar School | Langley | 77.6 | 98.3 | A- | Co-educational |
| 5 | St Bernard's Catholic Grammar School | Slough | 77.3 | 98.1 | B | Co-educational |
| 6 | Herschel Grammar School | Slough | 75.8 | 98.7 | B+ | Co-educational |
The six figures run from 84 at Kendrick School down to 75.8 at Herschel Grammar School, against a maximum of 90. Kendrick School (84) and Reading School (83) form the highest pair, and Upton Court Grammar School (79.9) sits alone in the middle. Langley Grammar School (77.6) and St Bernard's Catholic Grammar School (77.3) are close enough to read as a cluster, with Herschel Grammar School (75.8) just below them.
The two single-sex schools are the only two Reading schools in the table, and they take the first two places: Kendrick School is the girls' school and Reading School the boys' school. The four co-educational schools, Upton Court, Langley, St Bernard's and Herschel, occupy ranks 3 to 6, so a family comparing mixed schools is choosing within a narrower band of figures than the whole table suggests. On the English and maths grade 5 measure, Herschel Grammar School (98.7 per cent) is ahead of Langley Grammar School (98.3 per cent) and St Bernard's Catholic Grammar School (98.1 per cent), although it ranks below both on Attainment 8.
The A level grades follow the GCSE order only loosely. Reading School has the highest average A level grade at A, despite ranking second at GCSE, and Langley Grammar School follows on A- after ranking fourth. Kendrick School, Upton Court Grammar School and Herschel Grammar School each show B+, while St Bernard's Catholic Grammar School shows B.
How does entry to the Reading grammar schools work?
Kendrick School and Reading School each set their own entrance test and act as their own admission authority, so a family applying to both registers separately with each school as well as listing preferences with Reading Borough Council. The council publishes the coordinated scheme covering the common application form, national offer day and appeals, and each school publishes its own catchment or priority-area rules.
Kendrick's test is set and marked by GL Assessment and consists of two multiple-choice papers of around an hour each, covering verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, English and mathematics, with no creative writing. Reading School's test is set by FSCE Ltd, an examining body associated with the school, and draws on the key stage 2 curriculum with a section assessing creativity and no verbal or non-verbal reasoning. No commercial practice papers exist for it, so the school's own familiarisation guides for parents and children are the only authorised preparation material.
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Enquire about this tutorHow does entry to the Slough grammar schools work?
Slough's four grammar schools, Herschel, Langley, St Bernard's Catholic and Upton Court, form the Slough Consortium of Grammar Schools, so a child sits one 11+ examination and the result can be used for any of the four schools a family names. Langley Grammar School is in Langley, within the borough of Slough, and St Bernard's is described as the only mixed Catholic state grammar school in the country.
The consortium contracts GL Assessment to set two papers of around 60 to 65 minutes each, one on verbal reasoning and English and one on non-verbal reasoning and mathematics, with answers recorded on a machine-marked sheet. Scores are standardised to adjust for a child's exact age within the year group, and extra time of up to 25% per paper is available where the child's school confirms a regular, ongoing need and the evidence arrives by the published deadline.
Families register online through the consortium portal, a single step common to all four schools, and name particular schools afterwards on the Common Application Form submitted to the home local authority by its closing date. The examination is held on one Saturday in the autumn at centres in Slough, and results are issued through the portal before the application deadline.
What do these grammar school results show and not show?
The Attainment 8 averages describe how each school's pupils performed across eight qualifications at GCSE level, and the grade 5 percentage shows how many reached that level in both English and maths. Every school in the table is selective, so all six figures reflect pupils who passed an entrance test, and the gaps between schools are small relative to the 90-point maximum.
The table does not show how a particular child would fare at a given school, nor whether a family would qualify under that school's catchment or oversubscription rules. A level grades are the DfE's average where published, which is why they are best read beside the GCSE figures for the same school, as with Reading School's A and Kendrick School's B+.
How the schools are ranked
The ranking covers every state grammar school in Reading and Slough with a published Attainment 8 score in the Department for Education's key stage 4 performance data, ordered from highest to lowest, with schools on the same figure sharing a rank. Every school in the table selects by ability at eleven, so the figures reflect a selective intake as well as the teaching; Progress 8 was not calculated for this cohort.
The data is the Department for Education's own download from Compare school and college performance, so anyone can reproduce the order from the same file; the data year and source are listed in the key facts above.
Admissions guides for the ranked schools
- Kendrick School (ranked 1)
- Reading School (ranked 2)
- Upton Court Grammar School (ranked 3)
- Langley Grammar School (ranked 4)
- St Bernard's Catholic Grammar School (ranked 5)
- Herschel Grammar School (ranked 6)
Related guides
- Reading Grammar Schools
- Slough Grammar Schools
- Best private schools in Berkshire
- Best grammar schools in the UK by GCSE results
- Grammar schools in England: the full directory
- The 11+ entrance exam explained
Preparing for the Berkshire grammar school 11+ with Taylor Tuition
Preparation for the Berkshire grammar school 11+ tends to go best when it starts early and stays steady, and most families who work with us begin between twelve and eighteen months out. Our tutors, who have prepared pupils for entry to leading independent and grammar schools including Westminster, St Paul's, Wycombe Abbey and Eton, plan the work backwards from the school's own assessment format and registration deadline.
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Families in Berkshire and further afield work with us online, and in person in central London. Fees start from £50 per 50-minute session and depend on tutor level and subject, with no registration fee and a free initial consultation to talk through your child's current level and the timeline to the 11+. Families receive progress reports after sessions and have a dedicated point of contact.
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Frequently asked questions
- Which is the highest-ranked grammar school in Berkshire for GCSE results?
- Kendrick School in Reading has the highest average Attainment 8 score of the six ranked schools, at 84 out of a maximum of 90, with 100 per cent of pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths. Reading School follows in second place on 83.
- Which is the highest-ranked girls' grammar school in Berkshire?
- Kendrick School in Reading is the only girls' school in the table and ranks first, with an average Attainment 8 score of 84, 100 per cent at grade 5 or above in English and maths, and an average A level grade of B+.
- Which is the highest-ranked boys' grammar school in Berkshire?
- Reading School is the only boys' school in the table and ranks second, with an average Attainment 8 score of 83 and 100 per cent at grade 5 or above in English and maths. Its average A level grade of A is the highest of the six schools.
- How many Berkshire grammar schools are ranked?
- Six state grammar schools are ranked: Kendrick School and Reading School in Reading, Upton Court Grammar School, St Bernard's Catholic Grammar School and Herschel Grammar School in Slough, and Langley Grammar School in Langley. Four of the six are co-educational.
- What does the average Attainment 8 score mean?
- Attainment 8 adds up each pupil's grades across eight GCSE-level qualifications, with English and maths double-weighted, to a maximum of 90. The ranking uses each school's average, taken from the latest DfE key stage 4 performance tables.
- Which Berkshire grammar school has the highest average A level grade?
- Reading School has the highest average A level grade in the table at A, followed by Langley Grammar School on A-. Kendrick School, Upton Court Grammar School and Herschel Grammar School each show B+, and St Bernard's Catholic Grammar School shows B.
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