Reading School 11+ guide

Applying to Reading School for September 2028? This guide covers the FSCE entrance test, the qualifying score, how the 150 Year 7 places are allocated and the key dates for September 2028 entry.

Reading School 11+ at a glance

• School type: boys' grammar school with day and weekly boarding places
• Location: Reading, Berkshire
• Number of places in Year 7: 150 (2027-entry figure — Reading School confirms each year's admission number in its determined arrangements, published the spring before entry.)
• Qualifying score: No fixed pass mark. The Governors' Admissions Committee sets the eligible score each year from the cohort's performance. Some priority groups qualify 5 marks below it.
• 11+ test: FSCE entrance test (four papers: Adventure, Beacon, Compass and Discovery)

Source: Reading School Year 7 Day Admissions Policy, 2027 entry. Last checked October 2026.

Key dates for September 2028 entry

Reading School confirms its exact dates in the spring before each cycle. The windows below follow the 2027-entry timetable: registration ran from 25 March 2026 to midnight on Sunday 17 May 2026, the test took place on Thursday 16 July 2026 for catchment-area and boarding applicants (out-of-catchment day applicants sat it on Friday 25 September 2026) and results were due mid-October 2026. We'll update this page as soon as the school publishes its 2028-entry dates.

Other areas that are moving to the FSCE test have set different dates, so these windows reflect this school's own timetable only.

How to apply to Reading School

Reading School is selective, so your child needs to sit the 11+ test to be considered for a place.

You register your son for the entrance test directly with Reading School, using the online form on the school's Year 7 entry page during the registration window.

Once you have your child's result, you apply by naming Reading School on your common application form, which goes to your home local authority. For September 2028 entry the deadline is Sunday 31 October 2027. As it falls on a Sunday, you may find it easier to submit your form in the days before.

Reaching the qualifying score makes your child eligible, but it doesn't guarantee a place. If more qualifying children apply than there are places, the school uses its oversubscription criteria, set out further down this page.

What will my child be tested on?

Reading School's entrance test is set by Future Stories Community Enterprise (FSCE), which was set up as a subsidiary of Reading School. It covers Key Stage 2 subjects up to and including the Year 5 programme of study, so questions can draw on more than English and maths.

There are four papers: Adventure, Beacon, Compass and Discovery. Between them they include multiple-choice, constrained-response and written questions, under the headings 'Thinking Like an Author', 'Thinking Like a Problem Solver' and Key Stage 2 subjects.

The content changes every year, and the school says its familiarisation guide is not definitive. Boys living in the catchment area and boarding applicants sit the test in July, at the end of Year 5. Day applicants living outside the catchment area sit it in September of Year 6.

Boys applying for a sports pathway place also take a sporting aptitude assessment in July.

How are places allocated at Reading School?

If more children reach the qualifying standard than there are 150 Year 7 places, Reading School offers places in the order below. This order comes from the school's admissions policy for 2027 entry (day places). The school sets its 2028-entry policy separately, and we'll update this table if anything changes.

Within each category, boys are ranked by standardised test score. In categories 4 and 5, a twin or other multiple-birth sibling has priority if his brother or sister is ranked within the top 138 day registrants.

Does Reading School have a catchment area?

The catchment area is defined by postcode district: RG1, RG2, RG4, RG5, RG6, RG7, RG8, RG9, RG10, RG12, RG14, RG18, RG19, RG26, RG27, RG30, RG31, RG40, RG41, RG42, RG45, GU15, GU17, GU19, GU46, GU47, OX10, SL4 and SL5. The school also publishes a map, but the postcode list takes precedence. Your son's main address on the July test day is the one used.

If two boys in the same category have the same overall score, the boy with the higher Discovery paper score is placed first. If they are still level, the boy living closer to the school in a straight line has priority, and a computerised random number generator decides any remaining tie.

If you don't live close to the school, it's worth thinking about how your child will get there every day. How long will the journey take? What transport options are available? Will they be travelling independently or with support?

A longer or more complex journey can affect your child's daily routine, including how much time they have for homework, rest and after-school activities. It's a good idea to think about how manageable the school run will be and whether it will work for your family day to day.

How can I help my child prepare for the FSCE test?

Atom Learning is not an official or authorised source of information about FSCE assessments. This guide is based on publicly available information. FSCE assessments are tailored to each school and can change from year to year. For definitive information, always use the familiarisation materials published by the school you are applying to.

There are no FSCE past papers, and the subjects and question styles change each year — so there is no pattern to learn. What the test does reward is a confident grasp of the Key Stage 2 curriculum up to the end of Year 5, applied to unfamiliar questions.

Build solid KS2 knowledge

Because the FSCE test draws on what your child has already been taught, the strongest preparation is making sure those foundations are secure — across the curriculum, not just English and maths.

With Atom Home, your child gets:

• a personalised weekly learning plan tied to their target schools
• adaptive questions that meet them at the right level of difficulty
• coverage of KS2 topics across the curriculum

Enter your target schools on Atom Home and get started with a free trial today.

Encourage regular reading

Reading underpins almost every part of the FSCE test — comprehension, vocabulary, and the creative writing paper. Aim for 10–15 minutes a day, with variety: fiction and non-fiction, different genres and authors.

Explore Atom's free reading and writing starter kit for age-appropriate suggestions.

Get comfortable with the format

The school publishes a free Familiarisation Guide showing the layout of the papers and answer sheets. Read it with your child so the test looks familiar on the day.

Beyond that, Atom's practice papers build the habit of working accurately under timed conditions and filling in an answer sheet correctly. Photograph the answer sheets and upload them for instant marking, a Standardised Age Score — the same age-standardised basis FSCE uses — and a clear view of which topics to work on next.

Celebrate progress, not just scores

Atom's progress tracking shows how your child is doing across topics and how that is developing over time, so you can keep motivation steady and focus on consistent improvement.