Reading grammar school

[ilovethislife]

Hi, I live in Westdrayton and looking to move to Reading to fall under the schools catchment for Reading boys grammar school .
Could anyone advise on the area, score expected ? Etc
Thank you in advance

You'll get a load of posts telling you Reading is a dump.

But I love it here and I live in one of the (apparently) shit areas. My DC didn't go to reading boys though so I can't comment on the school and have no idea what the catchment area is.

Caversham/Erleigh/Woodley are the 'nicer' areas. Tilehurst/Calcot are also nice.

Hi you can find the detailed information including catchment on Reading boy's website. The catchment is vast and the competition to get in is fierce.

I have a friend whose DS got enough score but wasn't offered a place because of the distance from the school.

You should think about the backup plan when your DS doesn't get in. Except for Reading boys, there is no remarkable state secondary school in that area. You can apply for grammar schools in Slough as well. The entrance exam of Reading school and Slough grammars are same. If you can afford private, there are some good schools for backup.

Thank you so much - ImNotWhoYouThinkIam & mumto3little
I like Reading grammar for the fact it’s on lead table & the opportunities they get ..boys come out very confidently. Also the fact reading is a better area to live than Slough. My DS goes to a private school in Slough and we being an Asian, find it shocked to see 95% of the pupils in his school (and all the grammar schools)are Only Asians! and I prefer to move out for a mixed crowd experience for my child.

My another worry is back up plan if he fail to get Reading after moving from own house and renting 6mts-a year just for catchment!! As of now we don’t want to consider private secondary as we hve DD as well into private (yr1)
Felt Royal Grammar in High Weycombe would be a better fit ? as it has good grammar school options for DS. But it’s not competitive as Reading boys.

If I’ve understood correctly from your last post, you are thinking of renting a house in catchment for 6 to 12 months to get a place and then move back. You can’t do this. The address you give has to be the permanent residence and you have to show that you can’t move back e.g. sold house. If you are found out, your son will lose his place and you’ll end up in whatever school has space left. If that’s Reading, that probably won’t be a great option.

Seriously?? With people like this, no wonder our grammar school system is a farce.
If you want your child to have a chance at attending a particular school that requires living in a particular catchment, then move into the area well before the exams take place. Not just so you can bag yourself a place, and put genuine residents at a disadvantage. That’s what most decent people would do.
Sorry, but posts like this, make me so angry. Maybe Bucks & Berks county council should be keeping an eye on posts just like this...or maybe they already do??

Hi I checked the website of Reading School and Slough is out of catchment. So, you need to move in somewhere nearer "permanently". Because he is your first child, you might not know the rule well about the catchment policy but you cannot move back to your own house. Even if you can cheat the school to let him in, he will be removed from the school once it's found out.

You should decide whether you stay in current area and look for other school or move out permanently. If you don't consider private school, I will not live in Reading. The catchment of Reading School is vast, you can find better area having good state secondaries for backup. But of course the house price/rent should be higher. Or you can also move to Buckinghamshire where you have more choices for grammar schools. Each grammars in Buckinghamshire has its specific strength and you can find suitable school for him.

However, it is the easiest way that you stay in Slough and stick to grammars in Slough.

Hi thanks for your feedbacks x
I think you completely got me wrong with renting part..I meant to rent a property for a year and until we find results and wait to buy a suitable house later in the same area.
Why should I want to cheat or con myself! I’m equally against such act!!!
My current postcode does not have any good primary or state secondary schools or grammar. Hence I drive 40mibs away to a private for their school!
We come under 2nd priority for Slough..and we are not happy with the current area hence want to move to a nicer neighbourhood. Felt that we could see ourselves living in reading. Nothing else.

Yes ofcourse if we move ll be moving permanently.

Sorry, that wasn’t clear from your post. You said about renting for 6 months to a year just for catchment hence we all assumed you’d move back.

Moving to Reading in the hope that your son gets into Reading is a big risk as it is so competitive. I like Reading but the school provision is patchy and there is quite a bit of pressure on school places. So you need do your research on back up options and make sure it is right for everyone. Otherwise it isn’t fair to put that amount of pressure on your son.

If you are set on Reading, I would make sure you move into the catchment of one of the really good comprehensives as a back up which might be further out that Reading itself. You might want to look at Maidenhead - but be careful of the postcode as the designated area cuts through it. Some there get into the Bucks grammars, and also gives you Reading and probably Slough as well.

Personally I’d look at the designated area, choose somewhere with a fantastic comprehensive school that you are almost guaranteed and then let your son have a shot at Reading knowing that he’ll have a good school no matter what. If you have a daughter as well then thinking into the future Kendrick is even tougher to get into than than Reading so it makes sense to find somewhere with a good state option if you can’t afford private long term. There are some fantastic schools in the area.

Sorry, but this is still not acceptable. You can’t apply to the school..and decide to stay permanently AFTER you get the results. People who play the system like this, will rightfully lose their place..and hopefully more.
Read the rules...it’s what every one else does. This is one of the reasons why we’ve turned down the grammar places our children rightfully earned. I can’t abide by this mentality.

Extract from Reading school website....in plain English

If the home address changes between registering for the entrance test and 31st August 2020, parents must provide proof of the new address which will be requested by Reading School.
Applicants may also need to produce evidence that the previous home is no longer used by the family – for example, proof that the property has been sold or that it is no longer available for you and your family to live in or that a rental agreement has ended. This is to show that the new address is not a temporary arrangement purely to secure a school place.
If the home address changes after 31st August 2020, the new address can only be taken into account after National Offer Day on 1st March 2021.
Reading School will also check the pupil’s home address once offers have been made and at the time of admission. If it is different from the application address then further checks will be carried out. This will include consideration as to whether or not the address used to make an application was temporary and purely to secure a school place. Reading School reserves the right to carry out random checks at any time and this may include a home visit.
If it is found that fraudulent or intentionally misleading information has been provided to the school either during the admissions process or after an offer has been made, the applicant may be withdrawn, even if they have started at the school. Short-term house moves purely to secure a school place may be considered fraudulent or intentionally misleading and in such circumstances the place may be withdrawn.
Where the home address changes after the application or during the pupil’s first term at school, consideration will be given as to the reason why. Where it is established that reason for the change of address constitutes the application being fraudulent or intentionally misleading, the place may be withdrawn

Sorry, I understand the situation. I totally agree with @Ionacat . Reading is a lovely place but personally I will not move in the area just for Reading/Kendrick school. It is too risky. If I was in your position, I will research the area where good comp secondary is to secure his place and let him try Reading School. As I said, it is fiercely competitive and most of children are heavily tutored to prepare the exam for a couple of years.

I know many smart children who have been offered places at great private schools but only one from them has been offered a place in this year. I think the place will be even more competitive for upcoming years due to this economic crisis.

‘I think you completely got me wrong with renting part..I meant to rent a property for a year and until we find results and wait to buy a suitable house later in the same area’

You are contradicting yourself...you say of course you’ll be moving permanently, but then attempt to clarify it with the above comment?

This is ‘cheating’... if you want to register your child for Reading grammar, you need to be settled in the area permanently..BEFORE the results, and not after.

I would like to thank everyone to share your thoughts and opinion here. memto2 - I can understand your reason to get upset. May be I hve missed to explain my whole situation and personal reasons. But anyhow if the school has come up with the option for people to move in to their designated area with certain deadline..it means anyone is welcome to do so.. for whatsoever reasons. Britain being such a diverse country with majority of immigrants ..who do you blame?

Anyhow, I respect your point of view, and concern about my vision.
I might look into comprehensive schools but private is my backup if not Reading.

You said you don't consider private

Well hopefully your vision involves reading the appropriate rules. Yes you are free to move into the area in the hope of your son one day securing a place. But it is not acceptable to rent a house in catchment, with a view to securing a more permanent property, IF your child passes the test.
It doesn't matter if applicants are immigrants or not??..the rules apply to everyone.

By the way, how old is your DS? Please be aware of the application deadline. It is usually May.

Yes initially we don't want to opt for private, but the comprehensive schools r not in the are we prefer or satisfactory. So lately we had to rule out.
My DS is 10yrs.

I would suggest to move to Earley (RG6 but check postcode for catchment), where you are in catchment for Maiden Erleigh, or Woodley RG5 hich has Bulmershe & Waingels, both good schools - both these areas are bus routes away from Reading, or Twyford/Wargrave RG10 which has Piggott catchment, again another good school but you can go to Reading by train/bus. Or I'm hearing good things about Bohunt so Arborfield (RG2) has lots of new housing and is also in Reading catchment (bus ride away)

The closing date for registration for the entrance test is 30th June, according to the admissions policy.

If your son is year 5 then this is going to be tricky. You have to register your son for the test by end of June. Your son’s school will have to validate the application. It will be clear that you don’t live in the area and you will have to supply your current address. To be considered in the designated area then you have to be resident by 31st August so you’ll have to supply proof of change of address to the school by then. This is going to almost certainly flag your application for further checks, so they will check that you have sold your property and the property you are in is your sole address. This is going to be difficult but probably not impossible.

I agree with postcodes above - I know parents very happy with Bohunt. You might want to consider the boarding places for Reading which you don’t need to be resident in the area for.

Reading School also has weekly boarding. For that option you don’t need to be in such a tight catchment.
Reading is an extremely academic school (I used to work there And loved it) but some of the other grammars will give the same opportunities. The Slough grammars May have a high Asian intake but that doesn’t stop them being diverse. And the grammars in Wycombe and Marlow would offer a different experience again.
Personally I would move into South Bucks and take both exams. That gives you options across the board. Go and visit the schools (online probably) to get a feel.

The Bucks CC Transfer Test registration closes at 3pm on June 25th, so really you are going to have to register your DS speculatively for both while you decide where you most fancy upping and moving to.

Yes..and it can’t be a ‘temporary’ move while you wait for results of the tests to decide where to stay...