Kendrick School
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 Sir John Kendrick (1573-1624) Founder of this workhouse With permission from Mrs Elms, Head of Kendrick School |
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| Established | Refounded 1877 |
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| Type | Foundation Grammar School Academy |
| Headteacher | Mrs Marsha Elms |
| Specialism | Science, Maths and Languages |
| Location | London Road Reading Berkshire RG1 5BN England |
| DfE URN | 136448 |
| Ofsted | Pre-Academy Reports |
| Students | 690 |
| Gender | Girls |
| Ages | 11–18 |
| Website | www.kendrick.reading.sch.uk |
Kendrick Girls' Grammar School is a selective girls' grammar secondary foundation school situated in the centre of Reading, Berkshire, UK. In 2010 Kendrick became an Academy.
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[edit] History
The school is named after John Kendrick, a Reading cloth merchant who died in 1624. John Kendrick left the then substantial charitable bequest of £12,500 to the towns of Reading and Newbury to provide employment and education for the poor. Initially this was used to provide a house of industry, or workhouse, called The Oracle, a name that was revived for the Oracle shopping mall which now occupies the site.[1]
In later years the funds left by Kendrick were mismanaged and subject to legal challenge. In the 1870s this was resolved, and the remaining bequest used to found Kendrick Girls School, along with the Kendrick Boys School that was later to merge with Reading School. An oil painting of John Kendrick, rescued from the Oracle workhouse, hangs in the hall of Kendrick Girls School. The caption reads "John Kendrick, founder of this workhouse".[1]
Kendrick Girls School was founded in 1877 and occupied Watlington House in Watlington Street for the first 50 years of its life. In 1927 the school moved to its current site, situated on the corner of Sidmouth Street and London Road.[2][3][4] The building is a Grade II listed building.[5]
Currently the Headmistress of Kendrick Girls is Mrs Marsha Elms,although she is due to retire by spring 2012. She is also Headmistress of Reading Girls School. In February 2011 Kendrick became an academy.
[edit] Academic performance
Pupils are selected on the basis of academic ability via an admissions test at age 11 (although entry is possible in other years too). As a state-funded school, there are no fees; so it is severely over-subscribed with over seven applicants per place.
Since national league tables were introduced, Kendrick has been among the top schools in the country. For the last two years, it has ranked first nationally for GCSEs in state school. The prestigious title of Sunday Times School of the Year, acknowledging its consistent high achievement in all areas.
The OFSTED inspection report states:
- "This is a school of high quality. Strict leadership is effective in helping pupils to aspire to excellence as scholars and as individuals. Pupils attain high standards. The quality of teaching is good. The school provides good value for money".
[edit] Uniform
Kendrick's uniform consists:
[edit] Winter
Plain White Blouse- Red Kendrick Jumper- Plain Black Trousers/Plain grey skirt- Black /Grey /White Socks/Tights (Grey or black)
[edit] Summer
Plain White Blouse- Red Kendrick Jumper- Plain Black Trousers/Plain grey skirt- Black /Grey /White Socks/Tights (Grey or black)
[edit] House system
The Kendrick House system consists of three houses; Cedar, Sidmouth or Palmer House. The house colours are as follows, Cedar- blue, Sidmouth- yellow and Palmer- green. The girls represent their houses in events such as Sports Day, House Scrabble, House Music and House Drama. House Points are awarded throughout the year with the winning house receiving the House Cup. Heads of Houses are elected from girls in the Sixth Form, Year 12 to take over until mid-Year 13. The Heads of Houses are members of the Head Girl Team. The current Head Girl is Jessica Stacpoole (elected in 2011).
[edit] Notable former pupils
- Beryl Cook, artist
- Janet Reger, lingerie designer
- Rosi Sexton, world champion cage fighter
- Yasmina Siadatan, winner of the BBC television series, The Apprentice in 2009.
- Claire Taylor, England cricketer
[edit] See also
- The Abbey School, a local girls independent school
- Reading School, a local boys grammar school
- List of schools in the United Kingdom
[edit] References
- ^ a b "John Kendrick (1573-1624)". Royal Berkshire History. Nash Ford Publishing. http://www.berkshirehistory.com/bios/jkendrick.html. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
- ^ "A Brief History of Watlington House". Trustees of Watlington House. http://www.watlingtonhouse.org.uk/index.php/history/. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
- ^ Phillips, Daphne (1980). The Story of Reading. Countryside Books. pp. 138. ISBN 0905392078.
- ^ Phillips, Daphne (1980). The Story of Reading. Countryside Books. pp. 151. ISBN 0905392078.
- ^ "Kendrick Girls' School 41, Reading". British Listed Buildings. http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-39001-kendrick-girls-school-41-reading. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
[edit] External links
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