The Abbey School Reading Review 2026: Elite Independent Girls' School with Academic Excellence and All-Girls Education

Sixteen years before Jane Austen's famous school in Bath captured her imagination, Reading had a girls' school within the Abbey Gateway. Today's Abbey School honours that educational heritage. Founded in 1887 by the Church Schools Company, the school relocated to its present Kendrick Road site in 1905 when William Methuen Gordon Ducat, Archdeacon of Berkshire, laid the foundation stone. The school's Latin motto, In aedificationem corporis Christi (Building up the Body of Christ), drawn from Ephesians, still appears on the crest today. The Abbey School earned Independent Girls' School of the Year 2024 by providing education to nearly 1,000 girls aged 3 to 18 across three campuses in Reading. The school ranks 41st in England for GCSE performance (FindMySchool ranking), placing it in the top 2% of schools in England, whilst A-level results secure a place in the top 10% (FindMySchool data). For families seeking academic rigour combined with single-sex education and strong pastoral care, The Abbey offers a compelling proposition in a city-centre location just a quarter of a mile from Reading's bustle.

The Abbey School Reading in Kendrick Road, Reading has a strong sense of history, with heritage woven into everyday school life. The 1905 buildings retain period character; the Jane Austen Wing provides modern Humanities classrooms and bright art studios. The Richards Hall serves as the central hub for assemblies and major performances. Space is limited compared to some country schools, but the urban location creates what sources describe as creative energy rather than sprawling greenness.

Dr Sarah Tullis became Head from September 2025, having studied medieval legal history at Oxford. Her vision emphasises curriculum design, critical thinking, and the idea that students should be taught how to think rather than what to think. This intellectual orientation permeates the school. Teachers are expected to have expertise in their subjects, and the atmosphere among parents and pupils reflects genuine engagement with ideas. The school maintains Christian values, daily assemblies and formal occasions like the Senior School Carol Service at Reading Minster punctuate the year, but the character feels inclusive. The school accepts girls of all faiths, and inspection findings note that pupils grow into self-confident young people "supported by Christian values and an understanding of life in a multi-cultural environment."

The school operates as a single-sex environment for girls aged 3 to 18, a deliberate choice emphasised throughout communications. Leadership roles and prefect positions are distributed widely among sixth formers, giving girls genuine responsibility. The Abbey Alumnae network (originally founded as ASROGA in 1903) remains active, with events and scholarship support ensuring continuity between generations.

GCSE Results

The Abbey School's GCSE results are outstanding. In the most recent published data, 90% of grades achieved were 9-7 (A*-A), compared to the England average of 54% at those top grades (FindMySchool data). This places the school 41st in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking) and 2nd in Reading, securing a position in the top 2% of schools in England, the top 2% of schools in England. The consistency of these high grades, maintained across subjects, reflects structured teaching and a cohort selected through entrance examination.

The school offers extensive breadth at GCSE, with girls required to cover English, mathematics, sciences taught separately, and languages (French, Spanish, German with optional Italian). Specialist teaching begins from earlier years. The exam entry process involves entrance testing in reasoning, reading, mathematics and verbal/non-verbal skills, explaining the selective cohort.

A-Level and International Baccalaureate

Sixth form students can pursue either A-levels (28 subjects offered) or the International Baccalaureate Diploma. A-level results show 87% achieved A*-B grades. For the IB Diploma, the school reports an average of 39–40 points annually, with two-thirds of students achieving 38 points or above, equivalent to or exceeding Oxford and Cambridge conditional offer ranges. The school ranks 95th in England for A-level performance (FindMySchool ranking), placing it in the top 10% (top 10% of schools in England). Sixth form flexibility, choosing between IB and A-level pathways, appeals to families wanting international or traditional UK routes.

Teaching follows what the school describes as stretch and challenge for all learners. Class sizes average in the mid-teens for main subjects; sixth form sets are smaller. Specialist staff deliver languages using native speakers; sciences benefit from 12 modern science laboratories recently refurbished with equipment updated regularly (one laboratory features haptic technology being trialled in partnership with the University of Reading). The Taylor Library provides central research space with computers, iPads, and timetabled guided reading sessions.

The curriculum emphasises live application. In languages, immersive trips to Spain and France complement classroom study. Humanities field trips and guest lectures from experts feature alongside traditional study. STEM enrichment days, enterprise projects, and practical experiments in science create engagement beyond textbooks. The reasoning paper, unique to Abbey entrance tests, explicitly teaches and assesses critical thinking, signalling the school's commitment to analysis over rote learning.

Independent learning and time management are fostered from Junior School upwards. Year structure uses distinct terminology: Upper II and Lower III refer to Years 7 and 8 in the Senior School. Progression from Junior School (ages 3–11) to Senior School (11–18) is seamless for around half of Year 7 entrants.

University Destinations

In the 2023–24 leaver cohort, 84% of Year 13 students progressed to university. Oxbridge features prominently: three students secured places at Cambridge and Oxford combined in the recorded period. Beyond Oxbridge, leavers regularly secure places at Russell Group universities including Imperial College, UCL, Edinburgh, Durham, and Bristol. This selective outcome reflects the school's academic selectivity and the calibre of teaching.

The school provides dedicated UCAS guidance and maintains university partnerships that support subject-specific applications. Medical school places have been secured in recent years, reflecting strength in sciences and the interview preparation schools provide.

Post-16 Entry

Around 27% of girls leave after GCSEs, many opting for free sixth form places at local selective state schools (Reading School, Kendrick School) once GCSE fees burden lifts. Sixth form attracts a fresh cohort: entry requires six passes at grade 5 or above GCSE. Internal sixth form progression is not automatic; girls must meet subject-specific requirements.

The school's extracurricular life is one of its defining strengths. Music is particularly prominent. In the Junior School, all pupils learn an instrument in class, and 80% take extra-curricular instrument lessons from Year 3 onwards. The Junior School operates four choirs, a full orchestra, and eight instrument ensembles covering strings, flutes, clarinets, saxophones, harps, ukulele clubs and percussion groups. Senior girls continue this tradition through the annual HMAD Music and Drama Festival, a major school event combining musical and theatrical talent. Choirs have been finalists in the Barnardo's National Choral Competition seven times in seven years, performing at Symphony Hall Birmingham and competing at Woodley and Cheltenham Festivals.

Drama is equally strong. The school produces major theatrical works each year (alternating musicals and dance performances), with professional lighting and sound systems. Lower VI students have opportunities to work with live bands in collaborative productions. Multiple performance spaces, the Richards Hall, The Studio, The Space, and Kensington Hall, provide venues for events varying in scale from class productions to whole-school celebrations.

Named clubs and societies in the Senior School include Senior Debating, Sixth Form Magazine, String Quartets, The Abbey Literary & Banoffee Pie Society, and Tuesday Maths. Beyond these, Young Enterprise develops entrepreneurship; Model UN provides global engagement; Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award schemes offer personal development and outdoor challenge. A social entrepreneurship partnership with Reading School and Henley School of Business extends learning beyond the classroom.

Sports facilities, while described by parents as "adequate rather than glorious," include a floodlit astroturf pitch, netball and tennis courts, an indoor swimming pool (a key focus for strength), and a fitness suite. Competitive teams operate in hockey, netball, tennis, and athletics from Year 3 upwards. The school encourages 10–15 different sports throughout the academic year; nearly all girls participate in at least one sport. The structured Physical Education curriculum teaches anatomy, physiology, and socio-cultural aspects of sport at GCSE level.

Art and design feature prominently, with bright studios in the Jane Austen Wing. Art, music and drama are discrete curricular subjects taught to all pupils. Subject-specialist Scholarships in Art, Drama, Music and Sport recognise emerging talent. The school holds annual Careers Fairs, bringing external speakers and industry professionals on campus. Trips extend learning: recent examples include visits to local organic farms, The Look Out Nature Study Center, and cultural excursions to theatre and galleries.

Leadership development is woven throughout: form elections, house competitions (students enter one of four houses: Carrington, Ducat, Kensington or Paget, named after people important to school history), house music competitions, and the Baroness Brigstocke Memorial Public Speaking Competition provide platforms for student voice and responsibility.

Tuition fees for the academic year 2025–26 are set on a termly basis, with fees including school lunches, textbooks, classroom materials and personal accident insurance. Exam fees for GCSEs and A-levels are charged separately. A non-refundable registration fee of £120 applies for entrance assessment. Once offered a place, families pay a non-refundable deposit of £1,000 (of which £500 is credited to first term fees; £500 is refunded at the end of schooling).

Individual music lessons cost £366 per term (VAT inclusive). A digital device scheme operates in the Senior School for Years 7–10 at £180 per term.

In the Nursery, all children aged 3–4 are entitled to Universal Free Entitlement (15 hours per week for 38 weeks per year). Families entitled to 30 hours per week funding receive a further offset, reducing the termly bill to nil. Before and After School Care is provided at no additional cost in the Nursery; for Junior School years it is available at supplementary cost on termly or ad hoc basis.

Financial Assistance: The school offers means-tested bursaries in the Senior School to families who would benefit significantly from an Abbey education. Bursaries may cover up to 100% of fees for exceptional candidates. Academic Scholarships are awarded on merit based on reasoning paper performance and critical thinking; Specialist Scholarships (£600 per year discount plus free tuition on one instrument for Music) recognise achievement in Art, Drama, Music and Sport. A sibling discount applies when three students attend simultaneously.

Each year group has a Head of Year who responds to pastoral concerns; parents report responsiveness via email. The school employs dedicated support staff: learning support specialists, a nurturing counsellor who visits weekly, and staff trained in mental health and wellbeing. A dedicated Diversity and Inclusion Committee amplifies student voice through events like Diversity Day. Student-led wellbeing groups ("wellbeing warriors") and a school wellbeing dog contribute to a supportive environment.

A safeguarding focus is evident throughout. The Diversity and Inclusion Committee, anti-bullying policy backed by assemblies and PSHE lessons, and student leadership in pastoral care create peer support networks. External support is accessed when needed. Independent assessments of personal development note that pupils exhibit positive attitudes, initiative, and independence. The school celebrates success across all manifestations, academic, creative, sporting, recognising that excellence takes many forms.

School Day: Pupils arrive from 7:45am; morning registration at 8:35am. School day concludes at 3:45pm (Senior School). After-school homework club runs 3:45–5:45pm. Specialist breakfast and after-school care available. The Junior School operates wraparound care from 7:30am to 6:00pm.

Location and Transport: The school sits on Kendrick Road in Reading town centre, within easy walking distance of Reading Railway Station. An extensive coach and bus network serves the wider Berkshire area, with routes connecting from towns and villages surrounding Reading. Many families rely on transport arrangements rather than school run logistics.

Uniform: The Junior School wears traditional uniform. Sixth Form students are not required to wear uniform, reflecting the independence expected at this stage.

Term Structure: The school operates a three-term year (Autumn, Spring, Summer) with half-term breaks. Term dates are published annually; specific dates for 2025–26 are available on the school website.

Selective Entry: This is a selective independent school. Girls must demonstrate academic potential through entrance examination. Parents typically invest in tutoring, though the school does not formally recommend this. The cohort reflects middle-class, aspirational families; some may find the academic intensity or peer group pressure significant.

Urban Location: The school is not rural; there is no expansive sports field. Parents seeking rolling green games pitches may find facilities "adequate but not glorious." However, proximity to Reading Station and the town centre appeal to families valuing urban access.

Exam Pressure: GCSE and A-level results are strong, creating an academically high-performing peer group. Girls thrive when they engage with intellectual challenge; some may feel anxious in a high-achieving environment.

Girls-Only Education: Single-sex education is integral to the school's mission. Some families view this as a strength (confidence-building, reduced distraction); others prefer co-education. This is not a choice, it is foundational.

Day School Only: The school is non-residential, requiring daily transportation or local residence. Families living at distance may face long commutes.

The Abbey School Reading stands out as an elite independent girls' school combining academic excellence, strong pastoral care, and a deliberate commitment to single-sex education. The 2024 ranking as Independent Girls' School of the Year reflects sustained investment in facilities, curriculum design, and student wellbeing. Results are genuinely impressive: 90% at GCSE grades 9–7, strong A-level and IB performance, and consistent Oxbridge and Russell Group university destinations.

The school suits families who value intellectual engagement, girls-only learning environments, and pastoral support alongside academic rigour. It attracts hardworking families from diverse professional backgrounds across Berkshire, united by commitment to education. For girls who thrive on challenge and who engage with ideas, The Abbey offers a compelling school experience grounded in nearly 140 years of girls' education. The main consideration is entry: selective admission and the competitive entrance examination mean families should confirm suitability before investing time and cost in the application process.