Kendrick School
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2010) |
| Kendrick School | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Address | |
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London Road , , RG1 5BN England | |
| Information | |
| Type | Grammar school Academy |
| Established | Refounded 1877 |
| Department for Education URN | 136448 Tables |
| Ofsted | Reports |
| Head teacher | Ms Christine Kattirtzi |
| Gender | Girls |
| Age | 11 to 18 |
| Enrollment | 690 |
| Houses | Cedars, Palmer, Sidmouth |
| Website | http://www.kendrick.reading.sch.uk |
Kendrick School is a selective girls' grammar school situated in the centre of Reading, Berkshire, UK. In 2010, Kendrick became an Academy.
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, still hangs in the hall at Kendrick School. The caption reads "John Kendrick, founder of this workhouse".[1]
The school in its current form 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] The school is sometimes referred to incorrectly as "Kendrick Girls' School" or "Kendrick Girls' Grammar School"; the correct name is Kendrick School.
The current Headmistress is Ms. Christine Kattirtzi. She replaced Mrs. Marsha Elms at the end of the Spring Term, 2012.
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.
House System
The Kendrick House system consists of three houses; Cedars, Sidmouth and Palmer House. Each house is assigned a colour, as follows: Cedars - blue, Sidmouth - yellow and Palmer - green. The girls represent their houses in events such as Sports Day, House Scrabble, House Music, House Chess, Junior 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 Lower 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 Nasya Munga (elected in April, 2016) replacing the former Head Girl, Francesca Parkes.
Notable former pupils
- Beryl Cook, artist
- Chi-chi Nwanoku, musician
- Janet Reger, lingerie designer
- Rosi Sexton, world champion cage fighter
- Yasmina Siadatan, winner of the BBC television series, The Apprentice in 2009.[6]
- Jessica Swale, theatre director and playwright
- Claire Taylor, England cricketer
See also
- The Abbey School, a local girls independent school
- Reading School, a local boys grammar school
References
- ^ a b "John Kendrick (1573-1624)". Royal Berkshire History. Nash Ford Publishing. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
- ^ "A Brief History of Watlington House". Trustees of Watlington House. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
- ^ Phillips, Daphne (1980). The Story of Reading. Countryside Books. p. 138. ISBN 0-905392-07-8.
- ^ Phillips, Daphne (1980). The Story of Reading. Countryside Books. p. 151. ISBN 0-905392-07-8.
- ^ "Kendrick Girls' School 41, Reading". British Listed Buildings. Retrieved 2011-06-03.
- ^ "Yasmina, you're hired!". BBC Berkshire. BBC. 8 June 2009. Retrieved 2013-07-26.