Schools in Reading

47 schools with published admissions figures

The newest figures for each school. "1st prefs per place" is how many families put the school first, for each place it gave out. It measures demand, not whether a child would get a place. A dash means the figure is not available.

How the 2026 round went in Reading

Primary

Offered their first choice 91.0%
Of families applying for a primary place for September 2026. Against 79.0% in 2016.
Offered one of their three 98.6%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
Families who applied 1,844
Applications received for a primary place. A family naming three schools counts once.

For September 2026, 91.0% of families applying for a primary place here were offered their first choice, and 98.6% were offered one of the three schools they named.

That is 12.0 points higher than in 2016, when it was 79.0%.

The council's primary schools between them had 2,001 places for 1,844 applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.

Secondary

Offered their first choice 73.1%
Of families applying for a secondary place for September 2026. Against 82.2% in 2016.
Offered one of their three 93.3%
Families offered any of the schools they named.
Families who applied 1,794
Applications received for a secondary place. A family naming three schools counts once.

For September 2026, 73.1% of families applying for a secondary place here were offered their first choice, and 93.3% were offered one of the three schools they named.

That is 9.1 points lower than in 2016, when it was 82.2%.

The council's secondary schools between them had 1,744 places for 1,794 applications, which is 50 fewer places than applications. That is a total for the whole council and says nothing about any one school in it.

Source: Department for Education, applications and offers. The same round across England.

If a family is refused a place

In 2026, families in Reading lodged 128 appeals about a school place.

91 of them were heard by a panel and 8 succeeded, which is about 9 in every 100 heard.

The other 37 did not reach a panel. Most appeals that do not are withdrawn because a place comes up first.

This is a record of decisions already made. A panel hears one case at a time and decides it on what that family sets out, so these figures do not indicate what would happen in any particular appeal.

Source: Department for Education, admission appeals in England, reporting year 2026. Counts every school in this council area. The share that succeeded is taken over appeals heard by a panel, not over appeals lodged.

Secondary

School	1st prefs per place	Demand since	Latest Ofsted
Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic School Reading	0.76	-	School remains Good Ofsted ungraded inspection
Hartland High School Reading	0.53	-	Inadequate Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre Reading	0.79	-	School remains Good Ofsted ungraded inspection
Kendrick School Reading	2.76	-	Outstanding Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
King's Academy Prospect Reading	0.72	-	Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Maiden Erlegh School in Reading Reading	0.78	-	School remains Good Ofsted ungraded inspection
Reading Girls' School Reading	0.66	-	Good Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
Reading School Reading	2.74	-	Outstanding Ofsted graded inspection (previous framework)
The WREN School Reading	0.60	-	Expected standard Ofsted report card (current framework)

Elsewhere

Most sought-after schools in Reading by first preferences per place
Schools in RG1 (13)
Schools in RG2 (15)
Schools in RG30 (14)
Schools in RG31 (11)
Schools in RG4 (14)
Schools in RG6 (8)
What data we hold