The WREN School, Reading

Ofsted's report card from its 14 April 2026 inspection grades The WREN School on 7 areas: 6 expected standard and 1 needs attention. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "At the end of key stage 4, pupils generally achieve in line with the national averages for GCSE subjects."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders are systematic in their promotion and focus on regular attendance."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have an accurate and detailed understanding of how well the curriculum helps pupils learn and how effective teaching is."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Whenever pupils join the school, their needs are quickly identified."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "Leaders, including governors and the trust, have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and areas that require further improvement."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders ensure that all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and pupils who speak English as an additional language, receive a broad education."

Post 16 provision - Needs attention. "Over a number of years, students in the sixth form have not achieved as well as they should."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should ensure a consistent approach across the school in how staff check pupils' understanding effectively and address gaps in pupils' knowledge"; "Leaders should continue to further reduce levels of persistent absence"; "Leaders should ensure that the sixth-form curriculum meets the needs of students so that they achieve consistently well".

In 2026, pupils at The WREN School averaged an Attainment 8 score of 39.2, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 51.5 in Reading and 47 across England.

34% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 55% in Reading and 47% in England.

That is down from 44.8 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was -0.13: pupils made below average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 28.8, against 43.3 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 14.5 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, Business Studies and Geography.

For September 2026 entry, 70 families put The WREN School as their first choice and 295 named it as one of their preferences, for 117 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state secondary schools to The WREN School are Blessed Hugh Faringdon Catholic School (0.2 miles, Good, Attainment 8 46.3); King's Academy Prospect (0.8 miles, Good, Attainment 8 39.7); River Academy (1.3 miles); and Kendrick School (1.6 miles, Outstanding, selective, Attainment 8 82.4).

Each of them had higher 2026 results than The WREN School.

The WREN School is one of 20 schools run by Excalibur Academies Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 46.8 in 2024/25.

Of the 186 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 87% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 39% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 1% into work.

Of the 76 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 43% went on to university or other higher education, 3% to apprenticeships and 18% into work. 7% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

51.8% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are White British (26%), Asian (25%) and Black (12%).

In 2026, 118 pupils (12.7%) received SEN support and 23 (2.5%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is autism.

The WREN School has a SEN unit for autism: 12 places, 12 pupils on roll.

The nearest railway station is Reading West Rail Station, about 830 metres away (roughly a 10-minute walk).

12 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Liebenrood Road (adjacent), 70 metres away.

In 2024/25, The WREN School issued 331 suspensions, 33.8 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 2 permanent exclusions.

The primary schools closest to The WREN School are Southcote Primary School (0.4 miles), Battle Primary Academy (0.5 miles), All Saints Junior School (0.6 miles) and All Saints Church of England Aided Infant School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.