Highdown School and Sixth Form CentreKendrick School
Inspection, results, pupils and attendance side by side in Reading.
Summary of the comparison
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre and Kendrick School are secondary schools in Reading.
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre scores 63 out of 100 (grade C, average) and Kendrick School scores 89 out of 100 (grade A, exceptional). Kendrick School is ahead on our composite score.
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre was judged Good and Kendrick School was judged Outstanding.
On GCSE Attainment 8, the latest published figures are 54.9 for Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre and 82.4 for Kendrick School.
GCSE Attainment 8 has risen at Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre (51.9 in 2021-22, 54.9 in 2025-26) and has fallen at Kendrick School (86.6 in 2021-22, 82.4 in 2025-26).
Side-by-side comparison
| Measure | ReadingHighdown School and Sixth Form Centre | ReadingKendrick School | England average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overview | |||
| Our score | C63/100 | A89/100Stronger figure | |
| Local ranking | 3rd of 10 in Reading | 1st of 10 in Reading Stronger figure | |
| Inspection | Ofsted: Good | Ofsted: OutstandingStronger figure | |
| School type | Academy converter | Academy converter | |
| Phase | Secondary | Secondary | |
| Age range | 11-18 | 11-18 | |
| Gender | Mixed | Girls | |
| Pupils on roll | 1,537 | 939 | |
| Capacity | 1,440 | 920 | |
| Location | Reading, RG4 8LR | Reading, RG1 5BN | |
| GCSE results | |||
| Attainment 8 | 54.9 | 82.4 Stronger figure | 46.2 |
| Grade 5+ in English & maths | 64.4% | 99.2% Stronger figure | 46.3% |
| Grade 4+ in English & maths | 79.6% | 99.2% Stronger figure | 64.8% |
| Cohort | 250 | 129 | |
| A-level results | |||
| A-level entries | 141 | 147 | |
| A-level average points | 34.4 | 44.5 Stronger figure | 35.0 |
| A-level average grade | C+ | B+ | |
| Best 3 A-levels points | 34.7 | 44.7 Stronger figure | 35.8 |
| AAB+ incl. facilitating subjects | 16.8% | 51.4% Stronger figure | 17.5% |
| Pupils | |||
| Pupils in the census | 1,545 | 934 | |
| Free school meals (ever 6) | 11.1% | 9.2% | |
| English as an additional language | 16.1% | 22.4% | |
| SEN support | 11.6% | 3.6% | |
| SEN with an EHC plan | 1.7% | 0.6% | |
| Attendance | |||
| Overall absence | 8.3% | 4.9% Stronger figure | 6.2% |
| Persistent absence | 21.0% | 11.1% Stronger figure | 15.8% |
marks the stronger figure on measures with a clear direction. Rows describing a school's intake, such as free school meals, English as an additional language and SEN, carry no marker: they describe who a school serves, not how well it serves them.
Historical trends
Each solid line is one school; the dashed line is the national average.
GCSE Attainment 8
GCSE Progress 8
A-level average points
Overall absence
Free school meal eligibility (ever 6)
Pupils on roll
Ethnicity over time
One panel per school: the largest groups across this comparison, one colour per group, on a shared scale.
Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre
Kendrick School
Full profiles: Highdown School and Sixth Form Centre · Kendrick School