Reading School Addresses Diversity Misconceptions

Assistant headteacher Greg Fairchild has pushed back after Government figures showed only 13% of pupils at Reading School are White British.

Founded in 1125, Reading School is a state selective grammar for boys - entry requires an exam. The 13% figure has been seized on by right-wing commentators as evidence of demographic change.

Fairchild says the school is trying to attract more bright local boys and has changed admissions and the entrance test to make the school more accessible across Reading.

"Under-representation of any and all groups is an issue that Reading School is determined to address."

He says the school now gives priority to bright boys living in Reading postcodes and to pupils at nearby state primaries, and has reworked the 11+ so it only tests material taught up to the end of Year 5. The pattern is unpredictable to make costly 11+ tutoring less useful, the school says.

Fairchild also warned that the school's historic, Hogwarts-like appearance can make it seem private, despite being a free state school, and pointed to activities such as cooking on open fires, launching rockets and winning national sports competitions.

The school won the Sutton Trust's 'Fair Admissions' Gold Award, the Trust said: 'Gold is awarded to schools who have made several determined and significant changes to their admissions policies to ensure that there is fair access to all pupils regardless of socio-economic background. For your school we wanted to recognise your use of Pupil Premium priority in admissions policy, your new eligibility tools and your extensive advocacy for fair school admissions.'

"To reduce this to ethnicity alone is therefore reductive, but we agree that the statistics mentioned are one narrow indicator of under-representation that we are determined to address."

The school invites local teachers and families to email admissions@reading-school.co.uk with questions.

James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter