Read School Review 2026: Small all-through day and boarding, with flexible pathways

Read School is an all-through independent school, combining day and boarding provision from age 4 through to Sixth Form. Its scale shapes the experience: pupils move through the phases without the anonymity that can come with larger settings, and the boarding community adds continuity beyond the formal school day.

The current Head is Ruth Ainley, in post since July 2018. The school traces its origins to 1667, founded by Charles Reade, and still frames its mission around broad access and an academically non-selective intake.

The latest Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspection took place from 30 September to 2 October 2025; standards relating to quality of education, wellbeing, and pupils’ social education were met, while standards relating to leadership and governance, and safeguarding, were not met consistently due to safer recruitment processes.

The clearest theme across the school’s own messaging is inclusivity by design, not by slogan. The admissions approach is framed around admitting pupils with a wide range of abilities and learning needs, provided they can benefit from what the school offers. That matters for families who want a school that can flex around different starting points across an all-through journey, rather than filtering by selection at key transition points.

The organisation of the day also signals something important about culture. In the senior school timetable, activities are built into the afternoon structure, and Saturday mornings remain active through fixtures and Combined Cadet Force (CCF) events rather than being treated as a total pause. For pupils who enjoy routine and variety, this can feel purposeful. For others, the pace can feel full, especially when combined with boarding expectations.

The school’s stated ethos is “broadly Christian” in framing, with an explicit Church of England reference in its approach to worship, while also emphasising respect for pupils of other faiths. Given the school’s recorded religious character is “None”, this is best understood as an ethos layer rather than a faith-designated admissions route. It may suit families who value a traditional moral vocabulary without wanting a strongly faith-bounded intake.

Because this is an independent all-through school, published primary-phase performance measures are not available here in the same way as for many state primaries. For GCSE and A-level outcomes, the FindMySchool rankings and metrics provide the most comparable picture.

At GCSE level, the school ranks 2,201st in England for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and 4th locally in Selby. This reflects solid performance, in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile). The Attainment 8 score is 49. The EBacc entry profile appears limited, with 5.1% achieving grade 5 or above in the EBacc measure, and an average EBacc APS of 4.03.

At A-level, the school ranks 2,325th in England for A-level outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data), and 1st locally in Selby. This sits below England average overall (bottom 40% in England by percentile). The A-level grade profile shows 0% at A*, 3.13% at A, 25% at B, and 28.13% at A* to B combined, compared with an England average of 47.2% at A* to B.

The implication is a school where outcomes are likely to be more dependent on individual fit, subject choice, and the support structure around the pupil, rather than a consistently high-grade, highly selective academic profile. Families should treat the GCSE picture as the stronger of the two phases in the available data, and ask specifically how Sixth Form pathways are matched to prior attainment.

Parents comparing local options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub pages and the Comparison Tool to view these GCSE and A-level indicators side-by-side with nearby schools.

The 2025 inspection describes a broad curriculum with a choice of pathways, including vocational qualifications, and highlights well-planned lessons that enable pupils to make good progress. This matters because, in a smaller all-through setting, the quality of planning and sequencing often compensates for narrower staffing depth. A well-structured curriculum is how a small school avoids “thin” subject provision as pupils move into GCSE and post-16 choices.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is treated as a mainstream consideration rather than a bolt-on: staff identify individual requirements, and additional specialist teaching support is available where required. For families where learning needs are present but an EHCP specialist route is not required, this can be an attractive middle ground between a large mainstream school and a dedicated specialist setting.

Personal, social, health and economic education is framed as a defined programme titled Learning for Life, focusing on identity, mutual respect, and emotional regulation. The practical implication is a school that is trying to give pupils explicit language and tools for relationships and self-management, rather than leaving those skills to informal pastoral systems alone.

Read School publishes a long list of university destinations and courses for leavers over 2015 to 2022, including universities such as Oxford, Imperial College London, University College London, and the University of York, alongside a broader spread of destinations such as arts and specialist providers. These lists are useful as a qualitative guide to the range of progression routes, but they do not provide recent year-by-year counts.

For the most recent destination picture available the 2023 to 2024 leaver cohort is small (cohort size 9). In that cohort, 56% progressed to university and 11% entered employment. This is a meaningful reminder that, in small sixth forms, year-to-year destination percentages can swing significantly with the interests and profiles of a handful of students.

The best way for families to assess “what happens next” is to ask two practical questions: which post-16 pathways are most common for pupils who do not want a conventional three A-level route, and what structured support exists for apprenticeships and vocational progression, given the small cohort sizes involved.

Admissions are framed as relationship-led. The school encourages families to visit, and offers “taster days” so pupils can experience normal lessons and routines. That approach tends to suit families who want a clear sense of fit, especially if a child is moving mid-phase or has specific support needs that are difficult to gauge through a short tour alone.

For 2026 entry, the school advertises an Open Morning on Saturday 14 March 2026 (09:30 to 13:00) with advance booking. Where families are considering scholarship routes, the school publishes a clear annual closing date: scholarship applications must be submitted by 31 January for entry the following September.

Because all-through independent schools often take pupils at multiple points, families should clarify which year groups have genuine availability, and whether boarding spaces and day places are managed as separate pools.

Pastoral provision here is closely linked to the school’s scale and boarding model. Boarding houses are described in practical, everyday terms: boys’ boarding is in Norfolk House, described as purpose-built accommodation with mainly twin rooms and a common room; girls’ boarding is in Selden House, a refurbished older building on the main site. Those named houses help families visualise the lived experience, including the balance of shared rooms for younger boarders and more individual study spaces for older pupils.

The inspection gives a mixed but usable picture. It highlights a supportive school culture and effective safeguarding practice in areas other than safer recruitment, including staff awareness, appropriate response to concerns, and systems for online safety. However, because the unmet standards relate to safer recruitment processes, families should be direct in asking what has changed since autumn 2025, how governors now assure compliance, and what external validation has been sought.

The co-curricular pattern is structured rather than incidental. In the senior school, there is a dedicated activity or prep period from 16:05 to 16:55 Monday to Thursday, with the expectation that pupils take part in either activities or supervised prep. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is positioned as a growing programme, and the Combined Cadet Force is a long-established feature with Army and RAF sections. For pupils who enjoy leadership training and team culture, CCF can be a defining experience rather than a minor club.

Creative and practical options are also signposted. The activities programme references school choir, drama, world cookery, language clubs, art clubs, and jewellery design. These are the sorts of activities that often suit pupils who learn best through making and performing, particularly in a smaller school where participation is encouraged across year groups.

At junior level, the Lower Junior School day structure includes optional after-school activities Monday to Thursday, with examples including tag rugby, engineering, book clubs, and mindfulness. This matters for families who want a steady rhythm of clubs from early years upwards, not a sudden jump in opportunity only once pupils reach senior school.

Fees are published on a per-term basis for the 2025 to 2026 cycle (Spring and Summer 2026 schedule). Termly day fees range from £4,046 for Reception to Year 2, to £6,255.20 for Years 9 to 11, and £6,418.40 for Sixth Form. Termly boarding fees range from £10,512.80 for Prep full boarding (Years 4 to 6) to £13,076 for Senior full boarding (Year 7 and above), with flexi boarding also priced.

The school also publishes scholarships and means-tested support. Scholarships are worth up to 25% of tuition fees, with exhibitions worth 10%; the total award does not exceed 25%. Academic, sport, art and design technology, and music or performing arts scholarships are described, including published expectations for Sixth Form scholarship candidates. Bursarial assistance is means-tested, and the school indicates a “typical” bursary may discount fees by 5% to 25%, subject to funds.

Families should read the fee schedule closely for one-off and ancillary costs. The published fee sheet includes a £60 registration fee per pupil, an annual £18 contribution towards the Draxonian magazine, and a refundable bond set at 10% of the current applicable fee.

Daily timings vary by phase. In the Lower Junior School, early morning activities run 08:30 to 08:50, lessons begin 09:00, and the formal day ends 15:30, followed by optional activities Monday to Thursday. In the Upper Junior School, pupils are welcomed from 08:30, with the day extending through a structured timetable that includes a “tea” slot and after-school activities from 16:05. Senior school operates a period timetable beginning with registration at 08:45 and scheduled activities from 16:05, with buses departing at 17:00.

Wraparound care is explicitly priced for Spring and Summer 2026: breakfast club is available 07:45 to 08:45 at £6 per hour, and after-school club is available to 17:00 Monday to Thursday (and from 16:00 on Fridays) at £6 per hour, with an optional evening meal priced at £4.25 per meal.

For travel, the school’s own venue-hire information positions the site as accessible by road, noting proximity to the M62 and stating Selby train station is around 8 miles away. Families should still check real-world journey times at pick-up and drop-off, particularly for pupils combining school with external sports training or music tuition.

• Safer recruitment compliance: The autumn 2025 inspection identified weaknesses in safer recruitment processes, and standards relating to safeguarding were not met consistently on this basis. Families should ask what has changed since October 2025, how compliance is audited, and what governance assurance is now in place.

• Sixth Form outcomes variability: The A-level profile in the available performance data is below England average overall, and small cohorts can make outcomes and destinations swing noticeably year-to-year. This suits some students well, but it places more weight on personalised guidance and subject-fit.

• Busy weekly rhythm: A structured timetable with built-in activities, plus Saturday fixtures and CCF events, can feel motivating for pupils who enjoy routine and belonging. It can feel demanding for those who need more unstructured downtime.

• Fees and extras: Published fees are clear, but the overall cost picture can change once wraparound care, meals, music lessons, and learning support are added. Families should request a realistic termly total aligned to their likely pattern of use.

Read School suits families looking for an all-through setting where relationships, small-scale community, and flexible pathways matter as much as headline academic competition. Boarding adds continuity and a defined structure, and the co-curricular programme is integrated into the timetable rather than being optional background.

Best suited to pupils who benefit from being known well by staff, who want the option of boarding without committing to a full boarding-only institution, and who thrive with structured afternoons and weekend activity. The key decision point is confidence in governance and safeguarding processes following the 2025 inspection, and the extent to which the Sixth Form offer matches a student’s academic profile and intended route.