Kendrick School
Encyclopedia
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.
, 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.
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".
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. The building is a Grade II listed building.
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.
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:
Red Kendrick Jumper-
Plain Black Trousers -
Black /Grey /White Socks
Grey skirt
Tights (Grey or black)
Red Kendrick Jumper-
Grey Skirt or Black Trousers-
Tights (Black or grey) or white/black socks
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
secondary
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
foundation school
Foundation school
In England and Wales, a foundation school is a state-funded school in which the governing body has greater freedom in the running of the school than in community schools....
situated in the centre of Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. In 2010 Kendrick became an Academy.
History
The school is named after John KendrickJohn Kendrick (cloth merchant)
John Kendrick was a prosperous English cloth merchant and patron of the towns of Reading and Newbury in Berkshire....
, a Reading cloth merchant who died in 1624. John Kendrick left the then substantial charitable bequest of £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
12,500 to the towns of Reading and Newbury
Newbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
to provide employment and education for the poor. Initially this was used to provide a house of industry, or workhouse
Workhouse
In England and Wales a workhouse, colloquially known as a spike, was a place where those unable to support themselves were offered accommodation and employment...
, called The Oracle, a name that was revived for the Oracle shopping mall
The Oracle, Reading
The Oracle is a large indoor shopping and leisure mall, located on the banks of the River Kennet on the site of a 17th century workhouse of the same name in the town of Reading in the English county of Berkshire...
which now occupies the site.
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
Reading School
Reading School is a state-funded, selective academy school for boys in the English town of Reading. It is notable for tracing its history back to the school of Reading Abbey, making it one of the oldest schools in England. There are no tuition fees for day pupils, and boarders only pay for food and...
. 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".
Kendrick Girls School was founded in 1877 and occupied Watlington House
Watlington House
Watlington House is a 17th century building, with a large walled garden, in the town of Reading in the English county of Berkshire. The building is brick built and is reputed to be the oldest surviving secular building in the town...
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. The building is a Grade II listed building.
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.
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
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
School of the Year, acknowledging its consistent high achievement in all areas.
The OFSTED
Ofsted
The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills is the non-ministerial government department of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools In England ....
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".
Winter
Plain White BlouseRed Kendrick Jumper-
Plain Black Trousers -
Black /Grey /White Socks
Grey skirt
Tights (Grey or black)
Summer
Plain White Blouse-Red Kendrick Jumper-
Grey Skirt or Black Trousers-
Tights (Black or grey) or white/black socks
House system
There is a Kendrick House system where girls are sorted into either Cedars, Sidmouth or Palmer house. The girls represent their house in competitions such as Sports Day, Interform Dance, House Drama or House Cook Off (Coming Soon). Girls can also win House Points for their house by doing extremely well in class. There are elections for heads of houses from girls in year 12 to take over until mid-Year 13. There are also elections for head girl and the head girl team. The current head girl is Jessica Stacpoole (elected in 2011).Notable alumnae
- Beryl CookBeryl CookBeryl Cook, OBE was an English artist best known for comical paintings of people she encountered in her home city. She had no formal training and did not take up painting until middle age.- Early life :...
, artist - Janet RegerJanet RegerJanet Reger was an English lingerie designer who became famous in the 1960s and 1970s for her opulent lingerie designs.-External links:* Daily Telegraph * BBC News...
, lingerie designer - Rosi SextonRosi SextonRosemary Ann Sexton is a British female mixed martial artist. She is also a sports therapist, osteopath, and writer for Fighters Only magazine....
, world champion cage fighter - Yasmina SiadatanYasmina SiadatanYasmina Siadatan is a British businesswoman of mixed British and Iranian descent. She was the winner of the fifth series of the British television show The Apprentice. As the winner she was offered a job working for businessman Sir Alan Sugar , who presents the show.-Early life:Siadatan was...
, winner of the BBC television series, The Apprentice in 2009. - Claire TaylorClaire TaylorSamantha Claire Taylor MBE is a former English cricketer and retired member of the England women's team. A determined batsman, with almost 3,500 runs in over a hundred One Day International appearances, she was the top ranked female ODI batsman in the world going into the 2009 Women's World Cup...
, England cricketer
See also
- The Abbey SchoolThe Abbey SchoolThe Abbey School is an independent selective day school for girls, in Reading, Berkshire, England. The school has Church of England traditions, although it accepts girls of all faiths...
, a local girls independent schoolIndependent schoolAn independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the... - Reading SchoolReading SchoolReading School is a state-funded, selective academy school for boys in the English town of Reading. It is notable for tracing its history back to the school of Reading Abbey, making it one of the oldest schools in England. There are no tuition fees for day pupils, and boarders only pay for food and...
, a local boys grammar schoolGrammar schoolA grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval... - List of schools in the United Kingdom