Reading Blue Coat School A GSG School
- Reading Blue Coat School
Holme Park
Sonning Lane
Sonning on Thames
Reading
Berkshire
RG4 6SU - Head: Peter Thomas
- T 01189 441005
- F 01189 442690
- E admissions@rbcs.org.uk
- W www.rbcs.org.uk/
- An independent school for boys and girls aged from 11 to 18.
- Boarding: No
- Local authority: Wokingham
- Pupils: 800; sixth formers: 251 (85 girls, 166 boys)
- Religion: Church of England
- Fees: £21,285 pa
- Open days: Open events are held in October. School tours can be arranged - see school's website for more details.
- Review: View The Good Schools Guide Review
What The Good Schools Guide says..
Reading Blue Coat is nestled in the bucolic village of Sonning-on-Thames, home to Theresa May, Jimmy Page and George Clooney. ‘It should really be called Sonning Blue Coat,’ says the head wryly. Founded in 1646 by local merchant Richard Aldworth to offer education for the poor children of Reading, the school moved to its current site 300 years later. Unlike Reading’s other top schools, squeezed into urban-centre sites, this one boasts 46 acres of playing fields (on which nine football matches can be played at once) and woodsy loveliness which rolls down to the Thames...
What the school says...
At Blue Coat we pride ourself on being a welcoming and friendly community where every pupil can find their niche. School life is based on trust, courtesy and good will and we pride ourselves on the individual attention that we give all our pupils. We look back on over 350 years of education but believe we are a forward-thinking school, open to fresh ideas, recognising the value of structure and discipline in young people's lives.
Everything that we do is founded on a strong commitment to pastoral care. We hope to nourish a love of learning and a genuine excitement about the possibilities of academic life, while also preparing our students effectively for the challenge of public examinations. There is a rich and varied programme of co-curricular activities which allows for every taste and temperament, Involvement in these activities builds confidence and gives an invaluable sense of perspective.
Visiting Blue Coat is the best possible way to experience how the school works and you will always be assured of a warm welcome. There are regular Open Days or Open Afternoons, weekly small-group visits and individual appointments. Every student will be given a tour of the school by a Sixth Form pupil, following their interview with me or one of my senior colleagues. ...Read more
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Sports
Rowing
What The Good Schools Guide says
Headmaster
Since 2020, Peter Thomas, previously second master. Born and raised in Horsham, West Sussex; studied geology at Durham. An ex-copper, he worked for five years as a response officer for Sussex Police – and if you’re worried that means he’s a law, order and punishment fanatic, you should meet his brother who is an ex-prison-governor-turned-teacher. Seriously, though, they both left their previous lives for a reason – in our protagonist’s case, ‘to have a more positive impact,’ which fits with his sunny demeanour. And perhaps the writing was on the wall all along, given that their mum was a primary school teacher. He has only worked at two other schools – The Judd School in Tonbridge, where he taught for two years before joining the Dauntsey’s School geography department. Was housemaster of both day...
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Overall school performance (for comparison or review only)
Results by exam and subject
Subject results
Entry/Exit
Special Education Needs
| Condition | Provision for in school |
|---|---|
| ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder
Might cover/be referred to as;
ASD - Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Aspergers, Autism, High functioning autism, Neurodivergent, Neurodiversity, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), PDA , Social skills, Sensory processing disorder |
Y |
| HI - Hearing Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Hearing Impairment, HI - Hearing Impairment |
|
| MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Learning needs, MLD - Moderate Learning Difficulty |
|
| MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
MSI - Multi-Sensory Impairment, Sensory processing |
|
| OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
Downs Syndrome, Epilepsy, Genetic , OTH - Other Difficulty/Disability, Tics, Tourettes |
|
| PD - Physical Disability
Might cover/be referred to as;
PD - Physical Disability |
|
| PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, Global delay, Global developmental delay, PMLD - Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulty |
|
| SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health
Might cover/be referred to as;
Anxiety , Complex needs, Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA), Mental Health, SEMH - Social, Emotional and Mental Health, Trauma |
|
| SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication
Might cover/be referred to as;
DLD - Developmental Language Disorder, Selective mutism, SLCN - Speech, Language and Communication |
|
| SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
Complex needs, SLD - Severe Learning Difficulty, Cerebral Palsy (CP) |
|
| SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty
Might cover/be referred to as;
ADHD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Auditory Processing, DCD, Developmental Co-ordination Difficulties (DCD), Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Handwriting, Other specific learning difficulty, SpLD - Specific Learning Difficulty, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) |
Y |
| VI - Visual Impairment
Might cover/be referred to as;
Special facilities for Visually Impaired, VI - Visual Impairment |
Who came from where
| School | Year | Places | Scholarships | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barfield School | 2024 | 1 | ||
| Davenies School | 2024 | 1 | ||
| Hall Grove School | 2024 | 2 | ||
| Holme Grange School | 2024 | |||
| Lambrook School | 2024 | 2 | ||
| Rupert House School | 2024 | 1 | ||
| St George’s School Windsor Castle | 2024 | 2 | 1 | Music Scholarship |
| St John's Beaumont School | 2024 | 1 |
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