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Introduction
Reading School, situated in Berkshire, is a distinguished boys’ grammar school with academy status. Established as a part of Reading Abbey in 1125, it ranks among England’s oldest schools. Throughout its history, it has continued to uphold its dedication to educational excellence. Currently, Reading School occupies a scenic campus featuring cutting-edge facilities that inspire an atmosphere conducive to learning.
The school delivers a wide-ranging and all-encompassing curriculum to address students’ intellectual, creative, and physical growth. It provides an array of subjects, such as English, mathematics, sciences (biology, chemistry, and physics), humanities (history, geography, and religious studies), modern foreign languages (French, German, and Spanish) and the arts (painting, music, and drama).
Apart from its robust academic offerings, Reading School emphasises the value of extracurricular pursuits to foster personal development and a well-balanced lifestyle. Students can choose from a wide selection of clubs, spanning interests like chess, robotics, debate, and photography. It also boasts a varied sports program offering participation in athletics, cricket, rugby, and football, among other activities.
The central ethos of Reading School is its dedication to academic and individual growth and the development of a caring and supportive community. It nurtures intellectual curiosity, perseverance, and independent thinking, empowering students to reach their utmost potential.
Reading School has a long history of outstanding academic achievements, regularly ranking among the top schools in the United Kingdom. Students at Reading School score high in GCSEs and A-levels, achieving top marks. A substantial number of students from the school have secured admission to esteemed universities.
This short video showcases the range of activities and amenities available at Reading School.
Reading School for Boys 11 Plus (11+) Exam Information 2026
Address: Erleigh Road, Reading RG1 5LW
County: Berkshire
Admissions info: Secretary@reading-school.co.uk, 0118 9015600
School type: Boys’ Grammar
Number of pupils: 890
Number of places in Year 7: 150: 12 boarders (maximum) and 138 day pupils (minimum)
Open Day date: April and May
Exam date: September 2026
Pass mark: Aim for 80%+ in our practice tests. See below for more details.
Exam type / Board: FSCE (Future Stories Community Enterprise)
Reading School for Boys 11 Plus (11+) Admissions
Year 7 admission to Reading School for Boys is determined by pupil performance in the 11 Plus exam. If you are considering Reading School as an option for your son, you are advised to attend one of the school’s open days. At the event, you will be able to take a tour of the school, talk to staff and get a better understanding of the overall admissions process.
Unfortunately, the school cannot guarantee a place for every pupil that meets the required standard. The school is heavily oversubscribed and uses the following criteria to determine place allocation, giving priority to:
- Looked after children or previously looked after children
- Students who live within the designated area of the school and is eligible for the pupil premium or service premium
- Pupils whose home address is within the designated area of the school
- Students whose home address is not within the designated area of the school
For more information about Reading School for Boys’ admission criteria, please visit the school’s website. You can view the school’s exact location on the map below:
How to Apply for 11 Plus (11+) Entry to Reading School for Boys
To register interest for a Year 7 place at Reading School for Boys, parents must complete their Local Authority’s (LA) Common Application Form (CAF). To register for the 11+ admissions test itself, parents need to complete a separate application directly with the school. This registration can be done online when the application window is open. Applications received after the school’s deadline will not be accepted.
Parents will receive the results of their child’s 11+ exam in October, before the deadline for the submission of the CAF.
Reading School for Boys Catchment Area
Does Reading School for Boys have a catchment area?
Yes, there is a catchment area with priority based on location and distance from the school.
Reading School for Boys 11 Plus (11+) Exam Format
For 2026 entry onwards, the 11 Plus exam for Reading School will cover a range of KS2 curriculum subjects, without introducing any new or unfamiliar material. Subjects may include:
Art & Design, Computing, Design & Technology, English, Geography, History, Languages, Maths, Music, Physical Education, and Science.
The assessment consists of four papers, which may be sat in any order:
- Adventure Paper: any of the above subjects (multiple-choice format)
- Beacon Paper: any of the above subjects (short written response format)
- Compass Paper: any of the above subjects (multiple-choice format)
- Discovery Paper: creative response required
The Discovery Paper will also assess creativity, defined as the ability to develop new ideas or solve problems in original and imaginative ways.
The Adventure, Beacon and Compass Papers are marked by computer and age-standardised.-weighted to ensure fairness for all those sitting the exams. Results are communicated in mid-October and formal offers are distributed in early March.
How to Prepare for the Reading School for Boys 11 Plus (11+) Exam?
Reading School for Boys regularly appears towards the top of UK school league tables and receives an average of five applications for every Year 7 place. In short, your son will have to be thoroughly prepared ahead of the exam and have the confidence to believe that he can secure his place at the school.
Begin by setting your son a detailed study timetable, split into realistic revision sessions, each lasting 30 minutes. These manageable blocks of revision will go some way to ensuring that your son doesn’t become overworked or distracted.
Introducing our practice exam papers into your son’s routine can help give him a better idea of roughly how much time he has to answer each question. They can also help monitor his progress and identify weak spots.
Reading School for Boys 11 Plus (11+) Exam Pass Marks and Target Scores
The recent standardised pass mark for entry into Reading School was 95 for Maths and 95 for English (without the creative writing paper). Pupils who are able to score 80%+ consistently in our 11+ practice tests for Reading School should be on track to pass the 11+ assessment.
Whilst there are no guarantees, this has historically been a fairly strong indicator that your child should do well in the Reading School for Boys 11+ exam. Please click here to learn more.
Reading School for Boys 11 Plus (11+) Practice Exam Papers
NEW Skills Practice
In response to the most recent FSCE guidance (published April 2025), we have created NEW skills practice packs.
Our new 11+ Multiple Choice and Short Written Answer Packs 1 & 2, for the Adventure, Beacon and Compass Papers, comprise FSCE-style multiple-choice and short-answer questions for all the subjects that could be tested, with a strong emphasis on critical thinking and problem solving, to help students develop the skills and confidence needed to excel in this unique exam. This year the test may include questions on any of the following KS2 subjects: Art & Design, Languages, Computing, Mathematics, Design & Technology, Music, English, Physical Education, Geography, Science and History and we have included all of these subjects within our packs.
Our new 11+ Creativity Questions Pack 1, for the Discovery Paper, contains a variety of different creativity tasks, which require a long written response and provide opportunities for creative thinking and problem solving, providing students with realistic and targeted preparation for this unique test paper.
Full Practice Tests for Maths & English
Our legacy 11+ Reading School Practice Tests 1–20 still prove useful for children currently preparing the school’s entrance exam, providing realistic test practice in FSCE-style maths questions and opportunities to hone core English skills.
Practice Papers
English Skills Practice
In addition, we recommend the following packs to further develop essential English skills and support targeted Reading School preparation.
If you’d like to have your child’s writing assessed and marked, you may be interested in our Writing Marking Service. Please click here to learn more.
If you don’t buy a Bundle, don’t forget to use the code eppdiscount at checkout to get 10% off orders over £70 and 20% off orders over £250.
Our new skills practice packs aim to provide practice in the sort of questions that are likely to be included in the new format Year 7 Entrance Test for Reading School for Boys, based on the familiarisation materials that were released by the school in April 2025. The information provided about Reading School for Boys is believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware of future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the article.
Our practice tests aim to show what sort of questions have been included in Reading School for Boys 11+ past papers. The information provided about Reading School for Boys is believed to be correct at the time of publishing. However, please be aware of future changes. We advise you to contact the school directly if you are unsure of anything. School contact details are provided within the article.
Please note that Exam Papers Plus is an independent publisher of practice tests and resources, and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Reading School for Boys.
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Author(s)
Louise Lang
Director of Learning
