Queen Anne's School, Caversham Review 2026: Independent Education with Character

In 1698, eight merchants founded the Grey Coat Hospital, a Christian charity. A century later, Queen Anne herself granted a royal charter. The foundation endured through centuries of educational evolution, eventually establishing Queen Anne's School on Henley Road in Caversham in 1894. Today, the school occupies 35 acres of manicured grounds just north of Reading's centre, a setting that combines Victorian heritage with modern facilities. The motto remains Kind Hearts, Fierce Minds, Strong Spirits, a formulation that feels genuinely embedded in daily life. Approximately 450 girls and young women study here across the secondary and sixth form phases, with nearly half opting for boarding in its various forms. What distinguishes Queen Anne's is not competitive anxiety but genuine breadth; girls move confidently between the science lab, the music room, the sports pitch, and the stage, supported by a cohesive community that celebrates multiple forms of excellence. The school ranks 476th in England for A-level performance (FindMySchool ranking), placing it in the top 18%, a position that reflects consistent academic rigour married to pastoral care and sustained investment in extracurricular opportunity.

The school occupies a closed campus that blends architectural periods thoughtfully. Victorian red-brick buildings retain period character, while newer structures house state-of-the-art facilities. The 25-metre indoor swimming pool, dance studios, performance centre, and The Space (an award-winning sixth-form social and study building) represent significant infrastructure investment. What visitors describe most is the atmosphere. Girls move with purposeful confidence, neither anxious nor arrogant. Younger students greet older girls by name. The peer mentor system creates genuine vertical integration across year groups.

Elaine Purves became Head in 2022, arriving from a deputy headship at Royal High School, Bath. Her background spans Oakham School and independent education across three previous roles. She represents a refreshing pragmatism about tradition, maintaining what works while questioning what requires updating. Every two years the school holds a thanksgiving service at Westminster Abbey; girls wear distinctive red cloaks, and each takes home gingerbread afterwards. This is not archaic theatricality; it connects pupils to their foundation's Westminster roots and to something larger than themselves.

The school is Church of England in character, though not theologically restrictive. The chapel serves a primarily pastoral and community function. Religious education teaches understanding across traditions. The sense here is inclusive rather than denominationally prescriptive. Girls of other faiths attend without alienation.

Pastoral care is structured around house systems. Younger girls occupy two day houses and two boarding houses for ages 11-16. Sixth form students inhabit separate houses, where accommodation is more collegiate. Housemistresses and their teams know each girl individually. The system works because scale permits genuine familiarity.

GCSE Performance

The most recent published results show 69% of grades at 9-7 in 2025, compared to the England average of approximately 54%. This is respectable rather than elite performance, placing the school in the middle tier of independent secondary schools. What bears noting is the cohort composition. Independent schools often see pupils depart after Year 11 to state sixth forms or other institutions. The GCSE cohort may not entirely reflect the academic selectivity that A-level results suggest.

The school emphasises value-added progress. According to external reporting, students achieve approximately 1.5 grades better at GCSE and A-level than expected given their starting points. This matters. A girl entering with strong primary results is not simply passed through; she is challenged to exceed predicted outcomes.

A-Level Performance

Here the picture strengthens. The school reports 84% A*-C at A-level (2024), with 47% achieving A*/A grades (2025). The A-level ranking of 476th in England (FindMySchool data) places it within the top 18% of all sixth forms, a genuinely strong position. The percentile band is above England average (top 25%), indicating performance that sits comfortably above typical and well above the England average.

Twenty-five A-level subjects are available, including less common options like Russian, Criminology, and Psychology. This breadth matters for girls with non-traditional interests. The school does not funnel everyone toward biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Arts, humanities, and social sciences are equally supported.

University Destinations

The leavers destination data shows 55% progressing to university from the 2024 cohort. For a school of this size, this figure is adequate rather than remarkable. The remaining cohort comprises 20% entering direct employment and the remainder in further education or other pathways. This distribution reflects realistic progression routes; not all girls require or desire full-time university education, and the school appears comfortable with that.

Oxbridge success is modest. Seven Cambridge applications yielded one acceptance in the most recent period. No Oxford data is published. This reflects reality for most independent schools outside the highest tier. Cambridge is not the norm here; it is an occasional success.

The school does not publish Russell Group destination data prominently, suggesting the metric is either not tracked formally or not considered sufficiently distinctive to headline. Anecdotal evidence suggests strong placements at Durham, Edinburgh, Bristol, and other research universities, but this cannot be verified from official sources.

The curriculum follows English qualifications frameworks but with deliberate enrichment. Science is taught as separate disciplines from Year 7, giving pupils distinct chemistry, physics, and biology teaching rather than combined courses. Modern languages begin early. Drama, music, and art are genuinely core, not peripheral.

The school has pioneered interdisciplinary teaching, connecting subjects thematically rather than teaching in isolation. A unit on climate change might span geography, physics, chemistry, biology, and economics simultaneously. This approach aims to develop systemic thinking rather than compartmentalised knowledge.

Classrooms operate on traditional pedagogical foundations. Direct instruction, guided practice, and independent application remain the baseline. Teachers have strong subject expertise. The school does not trade rigour for friendliness; girls are expected to work hard and think carefully. Pastoral support helps those struggling academically, but core curriculum demands remain consistent.

Information and communication technology is integrated throughout, though the school maintains a graduated approach to mobile phones. Younger girls surrender devices each morning. Sixth form students self-regulate, expected to use technology responsibly. In boarding houses, technology is collected overnight to ensure sleep is protected.

The leavers destination data provides limited granularity. Over half progress to university; one-fifth enter employment directly. The school has strong Oxbridge aspiration but realistic Oxbridge outcomes. The defining feature is breadth of destinations. Girls do not follow a monolithic pathway; the school appears genuinely supportive of university, apprenticeship, gap year, and direct employment routes equally.

Career guidance is structured and sophisticated. Sixth form students receive personalised guidance. The school runs careers fairs, university visits, and alumni mentoring. Realistic assessment of university choices (not just aspirational reaches) is part of the culture.

Music: A Defining Strength

Music occupies a position of unusual prominence. The school's own ensembles include Chamber Choir, Consort Choir, Saxoholics, Saxability, Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Wind Quartet, Flute Group, Swing Band, and Junior Wind Band. This is not a generic list; each ensemble exists because girls sustain it through genuine participation.

The Chamber Choir, Saxoholics, and Consort Choir have performed internationally in New York, London, and Rome. These are not token performances but substantive touring opportunities. The school recently hosted the prestigious Music Teachers' Association Conference, attracting 250 delegates from across the country. This indicates the school's recognition within music education circles and access to high-calibre visiting practitioners.

Instrumental teaching is extensive. The school employs specialist music staff and draws visiting teachers from the wider region. Girls can learn violin, cello, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, tuba, timpani, piano, and voice. The take-up is significant; over half the pupils learn at least one instrument.

Drama: Highly Professional and Accessible

The school produces three major theatrical productions annually, alongside smaller-scale performances. These are not school dramas in the traditional sense; the Performing Arts Centre, with its 258-seat auditorium, professional lighting, and sound system, enables genuinely polished productions. The school has partnered with professional choreographers, directors, and technical specialists to deliver work at a level rarely seen outside professional theatre.

A Queen Anne's student appeared in the 2007 St Trinians film, suggesting the calibre of performance can genuinely compete in professional contexts. The school organises regular masterclasses with industry professionals, demystifying theatre and inviting girls into serious artistic practice.

Drama is taught across all year groups as both curriculum and enrichment. LAMDA (London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art) examinations are pursued by interested pupils. The school's success in these examinations is noted explicitly in external commentary as exceptional.

Sport: Multiple Excellence

Sport occupies a genuinely central place. Lacrosse, tennis, swimming, and netball are the major sports, with additional provision in rowing, gymnastics, cross-country running, netball, badminton, squash, rock climbing, trampoline, and dance. The breadth is remarkable; most girls find a sport that suits them.

The facilities are comprehensive. Eleven tennis courts and eight netball courts occupy the grounds. The 25-metre indoor swimming pool features starting blocks for competitive training. A sports hall houses multiple courts. Two state-of-the-art dance studios include mirrored walls and heated flooring. The school has produced Olympic and national-level sportswomen, indicating that elite pathways exist alongside mass participation.

Sport is required for all pupils, with the expectation of commitment. Girls typically train early morning and after school as well as during scheduled PE time. The fixtures schedule is competitive; matches occur weekly throughout the year.

Debating and Public Speaking

Queen Anne's School was a founder of the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships. The school's students participate annually, and the school has hosted the championships on multiple occasions, most recently in 2003. This heritage is not merely historical. Debating remains active, with structured competition and coaching. The skill of articulate, reasoned argument is explicitly cultivated.

Clubs and Societies

Beyond the major areas, pupils access Photography Club, Riding, Engineering Club, Public Speaking, Pottery, Young Enterprise, and the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. Many of these involve off-campus activities; riding and engineering projects connect girls with practitioners and specialists in the wider community.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award runs to Gold level. Pupils design and execute their own expeditions, developing independence and resilience. This is not tokenism; the school's commitment to the scheme shows in participation rates and completion rates, both of which are high.

Weekend Activities

The school packages weekend activities for boarders with intentional variety. Climbing, canoeing, sports tournaments, shopping, theatre trips, and social events ensure boarders are neither isolated nor confined. Regular exeats (typically three weekends per term) allow family contact while maintaining boarding community stability.

Tuition Fees (2025-26)

Day fees for Years 7-8 are £9,120 per term, reduced from previous levels to support the transition to secondary. Day fees for Year 9 and above are £10,733 per term. Full boarding is £17,943 per term. International boarding (for pupils requiring visa sponsorship) is £19,182 per term. Weekly boarding is £17,377 per term. Flexi boarding from September 2025 is £13,800 per term for two nights per week.

All fees are inclusive of VAT. The school frozen core tuition fees in 2025-26 following VAT introduction on independent school fees in September 2024, choosing to absorb cost increases while reducing fees for new Year 7 and 8 pupils.

Deposits are required to confirm places. UK day applicants pay £1,250; UK boarding applicants £2,000; EU applicants £3,000; other overseas £14,000. These are refundable against final fees when pupils leave.

Bursaries and Scholarships

Bursaries range from 10% to 100% of fees, means-tested based on family income and circumstances. Significantly, bursaries and scholarships can be held simultaneously, allowing a high-achieving girl from a low-income family to access substantial support.

Scholarships reward excellence across multiple dimensions: Academic Excellence, Art, Drama, Music, Dance, and Sport. These are non-means-tested; a wealthy family's child and a bursary child can both hold scholarships. The effect is to recognise merit independently of financial circumstance.

The school's commitment to widening access is genuine, not performative. Investment in the bursary fund and transparent communication of availability suggest institutional priority.

Additional Costs

Beyond tuition, extras include music lessons (from £130+ per term depending on instrument), drama examinations (LAMDA), dance classes, art materials, and uniform. The school has made small considered increases to some optional activities (dance, LAMDA, learning support, EAL) to align with actual staffing costs while freezing core curriculum fees.

Entry points are 11+, 13+, and 16+ (sixth form). The school is not oversubscribed to the degree of selective state schools, but places remain competitive. Entry is by examination in English, mathematics, and reasoning. Some candidates undertake the Common Entrance examination; others sit the school's own papers.

Scholarships are offered at all entry points for academic excellence, art, drama, music, dance, or sport. Scholarship applications must be submitted by September (11+), October (16+), or November (13+) in the year prior to entry. Scholarships offer partial fee remission, typically 10-25% depending on merit and breadth.

Bursaries provide means-tested support. The school offers bursaries from 10% to 100% of fees based on family circumstance. Uniform grants of up to £500 are available for entering pupils. The school's intention is to ensure financial need does not prevent admission of capable girls.

Each girl has a form tutor who knows her individually. The housemistress system creates additional pastoral oversight. The Deputy Head Pastoral provides strategic leadership. Counselling services are available for girls struggling emotionally. The school implements evidence-based approaches to mental health, recognising the pressures of adolescence and the particular intensity of boarding life.

Behaviour expectations are clearly outlined and consistently applied. The school uses restorative approaches when conflict occurs, focusing on repair and understanding rather than purely punitive sanctions. Bullying is treated seriously, with clear procedures for reporting, investigation, and resolution.

Boarding operates across three models. Full boarding places girls at school five nights per week throughout term. Weekly boarding provides Monday-to-Friday boarding, with weekends at home. Flexi boarding permits customised arrangements, with two nights per week as the minimum from 2025-26.

The newly introduced lower flexi-boarding fee of £13,800 per term (including VAT) aims to increase access to boarding without full commitment. Many families use flexi boarding as an initial trial before committing to weekly or full boarding.

Boarding houses are closely supervised. Staff sleep on site. Daily routines include breakfast, dinner, and evening activities. The environment is designed to prevent isolation while respecting privacy. Older boarders have increased autonomy; younger boarders benefit from tighter structure.

Exeats (typically every three weeks) allow family contact. The school recognises that even committed boarders need home time. These breaks are planned into the calendar, preventing ad-hoc requests that disrupt continuity.

The school day runs from 8:50am to 3:20pm for day pupils. Boarders' timetables include structured evening study (prep) and weekend activities. Term dates follow the standard English school calendar. Three termly divisions align with autumn, spring, and summer breaks.

The school is accessible by car from central Reading (approximately 10 minutes drive). Train access is available via Reading station, with journey times of approximately one hour from London. Significant onsite parking is provided. The location offers quiet residential surroundings while remaining within proximity of major transport links.

Modest Oxbridge representation. The school aspires toward Cambridge and Oxford but achieves single-figure placements annually. For families for whom Oxbridge is a primary goal, a higher-tier independent school might offer better statistical odds.

Below-average GCSE cohort performance. The 69% of 9-7 grades, while respectable, falls notably short of the strongest independent schools (some achieve 85%+). This may reflect pupils departing after GCSE or the school's genuine acceptance of a broad ability range. Either way, GCSE outcomes are not exceptional.

Boarding is prominent but not mandatory. Nearly half the pupil body boards. For day families, this creates a genuine dual-community dynamic. Day girls are well-integrated, but boarding culture is visible and substantial. Families preferring entirely day school environments might find the boarding emphasis noticeable.

Church of England affiliation without faith requirements. The school is Church of England in character. Worship and religious education occur. For secular families or those of other faiths, this is manageable but should be understood upfront. The school is not aggressively evangelical, but its values framework is explicitly Christian.

Small sixth form. Approximately 100-120 girls occupy the sixth form, making it small by standards of larger sixth-form colleges. This creates close community and personalised attention but reduces peer diversity on some courses. Students choosing less popular A-levels may have only one teacher or very small teaching groups.

Queen Anne's delivers a genuinely well-rounded independent education grounded in tradition but evolving thoughtfully. The school maintains British independent schooling's best features: small classes, pastoral consistency, breadth beyond pure academics, and sophisticated facilities. The A-level ranking of 476th (top 18% in England, FindMySchool data) reflects consistent academic rigour. The boarding provision, pastoral care, and extracurricular depth are genuinely exceptional. The school is not wildly selective; girls of diverse abilities thrive here, with the value-added progress suggesting teaching adds genuine benefit rather than simply processing bright pupils.

The fees, while substantial, are mid-range for independent schooling with boarding. The bursary commitment is meaningful. The location near Reading offers an appealing alternative to London-based schools; girls access the same educational rigour and facilities while retaining connection to home communities more easily.

This is a school for families valuing character development, genuine breadth, pastoral consistency, and a sense of belonging to something larger than individual achievement. It suits girls who thrive on multiple forms of excellence, not purely academic. The boarding option attracts families wanting immersive community; day families access excellent education without boarding pressure. Best suited to girls aged 11-18 who value creativity, independence, and genuine care alongside academic rigour. The school is not for families seeking ultra-selective Oxbridge-focused education (other schools do this better) but instead serves girls wanting an intellectually rigorous, emotionally supportive, genuinely rich educational experience.