Reading Girls' School

Last updated

Reading Girls' School
Address
Reading Girls' School
Northumberland Avenue

, ,
RG2 7PY

Coordinates 51°26′11″N0°57′39″W / 51.43626°N 0.960875°W / 51.43626; -0.960875
Information
Type Academy
Bilateral school
Established1818;207 years ago (1818) (as Reading Girls' British School)
Local authority Reading Borough Council
TrustBaylis Court Trust
Department for Education URN 144610 Tables
Ofsted Reports
PrincipalMarika Farrugia
GenderGirls
Age11to 16
Enrolment474
Colour(s) Navy Blue  
Website http://www.readinggirlsschool.co.uk

Reading Girls' School is a single-sex partially selective (bilateral) school [1] in Reading, Berkshire, England.

Contents

History

RGS traces its history to Reading Girls' British School, established in 1818 at Southampton Street. Neither is to be confused with Reading Abbey Girls' School, attended by Jane Austen. In 1907 it transferred to the new purpose-built George Palmer School in Basingstoke Road. In 1960 George Palmer Girls' School moved to RGS' current campus at Northumberland Avenue and was named Southlands Secondary School for Girls. [2] The boys' section had moved to the purpose-built Ashmead School in 1952. That school was later renamed Thamesbridge College before becoming John Madejski Academy in 2010 then being renamed once more to Hartland High School taking effect in September of 2025. Southlands School was renamed Reading Girls' School in 1993 with the reimplementation of its selective stream.

Since November 2015 RGS is undergoing a rebuild, a new campus on the same site is due to be completed by August 2016. [3]

In February 2016 RGS was placed into special measures after an Ofsted inspection rated the school as 'inadequate'. The inspection highlighted problems with leadership, management and quality of teaching at the school. [4]

Previously a foundation school administered by Reading Borough Council, in September 2017 Reading Girls' School converted to academy status and is now sponsored by the Baylis Court Trust. [5] [6]

Academics

Although Reading Girls' School is not categorised as a grammar school, it does have verbal and non-verbal reasoning entrance tests for the selective stream section of the school.

The school offers GCSEs and BTECs as programmes of study for pupils.

References

  1. "Reading Girls School". Reading Girls School.
  2. RGS Newsletter - Feb 2010
  3. "Plans for Reading Girls' School rebuild unveiled". BBC News.
  4. "Reading Girls' School goes into special measures". BBC News.
  5. "Reading Girls' School - GOV.UK". get-information-schools.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  6. "Reading Girls' School - GOV.UK". get-information-schools.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 17 November 2018.