Reading Primary Schools

[LovelyAmelie]

Hello parents,

I am after some advice. I am really stressed!!!

I am moving from London to Reading, and I’m hoping my son can get into Reading Boys school.

I’ve been searching and searching for very good primary schools. We will be living near Hill Side school and he’s likely to get a place there.

But from what I’ve been told is that they’re not very academic-focused. And not many children from Hillside get a place in Reading school. In comparison to WhiteKnight. Now he is on the wait list for WhiteKnight but he’s not exactly going to get it this academic year and time is running out!!!

He’s very intelligent boy and finds school a bit boring as a result so I needed a school that can stretch him!

Caversham area is not an option as we can’t afford anything there in order to be in catchment area.

I also found out that Reading school changed their 11+ test and now includes KS2 curriculum as a whole so ideally I want a school that covers the curriculum really well.

The next step would be to look for tutors that cater covering the whole of KS2 curriculum.

Anyone here can help and guide me what to do? Please!!! I’m super stressed out.

Tbh I wouldn’t expect any state school to offer 11+ prep. You need to do that yourself and consider a tutor. All state schools will cover the national curriculum, and in my experience (including as a supply teacher) pretty much none of them really challenge the most able. So if he’s able he should cover the ks2 curriculum but I wouldn’t expect anything above that.

How old is he?

Yes, I’d agree. Most state schools are not preparing children for competitive exams. As a qualified primary teacher, I have had children make the move to grammar schools without tutoring as they were capable, but I can see your concern that he might not reach his potential. Ideally, your DS needs to be working at greater depth across his subjects. From his school report or a brief conversation with his teachers, you can understand his weaker areas and then tutor those. Also, make sure he is well read.

Is there anywhere you can move to which does have schools that would suit or does it have to be reading? I say as someone who lives in an area where people do put up with assorts of houses to get in the right catchment.

He’s 8 - and this is the issue, I feel that most schools do the basics, I’m not expecting any school to do any 11+ prep but just to make kids excel regardless whether they’re sitting the 11+ or not.

as a supply teacher - do you know of any good tutoring company’s based on Reading?

thanks for your response

He’s graded at greater depth but I do wonder is he reaching his full potential? Whenever I do mention it to his teachers they don’t seem
interested. I do get it, they have another 29 students to take care of, but imagine what many kids can achieve if they’re being stretched!

I definitely need to make sure he is well read.

Well we’re kinds of trying to do all sorts of things to be in Reading Boys school catchment area 😕 Having said that, we did consider other areas, had very good primary schools but no grammar schools.

I also found out that Reading school changed their 11+ test and now includes KS2 curriculum as a whole

From a source other than the actual Reading School website, presumably?

https://www.reading-school.co.uk/attachments/download.asp?file=1464&type=pdf

https://www.reading-school.co.uk/attachments/download.asp?file=1463&type=docx

In focussing solely on areas of the KS2 National Curriculum that have been taught up to the end of Year 5, the Test aims to remove any need for tutoring. Instead, it emphasises the excellent work that children do at primary school and explores a child's innate ability, curiosity and problem-solving skills. This move away from tutoring is essential in ensuring that we select children who will be best placed to thrive in our challenging and enriching school environment.

Reading School is competitive to get into and you need a plan B as plenty of very bright boys don’t get in every year. I would make sure you are living somewhere that would pretty much guarantee you a place at a decent comprehensive like Maiden Erlegh.
Given Reading School has a large catchment, you won’t get many successfully getting a place from each primary school and even though they are trying to broaden access, tutoring is inevitable.

Alsryngton in Earley is a very good school.

But not many get into Reading school from there or any other primary school in Reading. They have a huge catchment area so it’s crazy competitive.

I know Reading have a very large catchment area, but I don’t think that’s a good idea. It should give priority to kids that live in Reading. Same way as how most school operates. It seems fair this way.

With Maiden E, they’re the opposite with a very small catchment area, so unless you can afford to live nearby. It’s guaranteed impossible to get a place. We can’t afford it anyway🥲

Before Reading, we were thinking of moving to Buckinghamshire, we didn’t like it. Although it has many grammar schools.

You’re right! Some children can achieve incredible things! That’s great that they a saying he’s greater depth. He is well on his way to success. You are well within your rights to ask them how they are stretching him in class. It’s fine to keep asking. I’m not sure how long you’ve got until exams but I’d probably start tutoring a year before, so it’s not a massive rush. Also clubs could help. Your school might have a coding dojo or other extra curricular clubs. I do tutor too so if you’ve got any questions feel free to PM me and I’d be happy to offer my advice.

Nevertheless that is the reality of the situation that Reading school has a very large catchment area.

If you move to Reading, I think you should buy a house in an area with a very good state school because you honestly can't guarantee your child getting into Reading school even if they have always been top of their class. So you need a plan A and a plan B.

I live near there and the only primary school I know of locally who does prep for Reading Boys/Kendrick is St Dominic’s in Woodley.

If he's already at greater depth, I wouldn't write Hillside off just cos fewer kids go on to Reading School, it draws from such a big area that the numbers from any one primary are tiny. Still worth walking round Hillside and Whiteknights (and Aldryngton in Earley if that's remotely doable) and asking how they stretch bored Y4/Y5s day to day, not only what the Ofsted line says.
I'd also get a solid non-selective backup sorted before you pick a street purely for the 11+, cos plenty of bright boys don't get in. Tutoring for actual KS2 gaps is probably more reliable than hunting for a primary that "does" the grammar paper. Happy to point you at where to compare the nearby primaries on the published side if useful.

I believe Reading is reducing its catchment now.