Reading Blue Coat School was founded in 1646 by Richard Aldworth, a merchant of The Skinners’ Company and a Governor of Christ’s Hospital.  The School was established near St Mary’s Minster Church in Reading and was known by its original historic name of Aldworth’s Hospital providing ‘Education and bringing upp of twenty poore male children’ and for a ‘Godly and learned man to be Schoolmaster’.

The original uniform was a ‘Blue Coate and Cappe’ and senior pupils wear the ancient dress of long blue coat and yellow stockings on special occasions.  In January 1947, the School moved to the magnificent estate of Holme Park at Sonning-on-Thames where today there are over 650 pupils aged from 11-18, with a co-educational Sixth Form of 200.