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I welcome your interest in developing your career at Reading Blue Coat School. We have a very special school characterised by aspiration, mutual respect and care for each individual.

Founded by a local merchant in 1646 on the pattern of Christ's Hospital and initially known as Aldworth's Hospital School, the Reading Blue Coat School has a long and distinguished history as a charity school educating boys from Reading and the surrounding area.  The School moved to its current attractive location at Holme Park, overlooking the River Thames near Sonning Lock, in 1947. The Sixth Form has been co-educational since 1986.

During the past 50 years the School has increased numbers to over 660 pupils.  There are approximately 200 students in the Sixth Form of whom 25% are girls.  The main entry is at the age of 11, with entrants coming from local primary schools and preparatory schools.  We are a day school and pupils come from a wide area, many taking advantage of an extensive network of school buses.

The School aims to provide a stimulating and friendly atmosphere in which each pupil can realise his or her full intellectual, physical and creative potential.  Pupils are encouraged to be self-reliant and adaptable, and we intend that they will learn the basis of good citizenship founded on honesty, fairness and understanding of the needs of others.  The curriculum provides a balanced blend of academic and non-academic activities which combine to meet these objectives.

The School has high expectations of all its pupils and academic results are impressive; please see the exam results on this website for further details. The results have risen strongly in recent years, both in raw and in value-added terms.

The School's facilities have undergone a continuous programme of improvement over the last decade, including the construction of a new Science Centre and a Sports Hall complex, including a dining hall and kitchens. Recent developments include a new cricket pavilion, improvements to the swimming pool and a new boathouse on the banks of the Thames. The School is currently expanding its facilities for the Sixth Form and is in the planning stages of an ambitious new classroom block.

Working at Reading Blue Coat School is rewarding. The school has its own salary scale, there is a professional, friendly and supportive Common Room and teachers' professional development is nurtured and encouraged through a 2-year Professional Development cycle which encompasses both personal development and the development of teaching skills. The Senior Management Team includes a Deputy Head (Staff Development), whose brief it is to oversee the professional development of teaching staff. The School is part of the Teachers' Pensions Scheme, and newly qualified teachers can undertake their accredited NQT year here through the Independent Schools Council programme. A number of colleagues have undertaken the Graduate Training Programme while employed at Reading Blue Coat School.

Teaching here is also demanding: the pace and rigour of school life, the expectations both in academic and co-curricular terms, and the need to ensure our pupils have the highest possible level of personal support and encouragement, require teachers with energy, enthusaism and commitment.

All support staff also have a cycle of professional development and appraisal, overseen by the Bursar and the Deputy Head (Staff Development).

All staff, both teaching and support, form part of a team which functions at its best in being mutually supportive. Relationships between staff and pupils at Blue Coat are often remarked upon by visitors and parents for being warm, relaxed and mutually respectful. We are proud of this - it is one of the most rewarding aspects of working here.

Reading Blue Coat School welcomes applications, for both teaching and support posts, from all suitably qualified persons, regardless of age, religion, race, gender or sexual orientation. An equal opportunities policy is operated, which can be obtained from the School.

The School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. The offer of any post is subject to statutory clearance in the usual DCSF checks through the Criminal Records Bureau and references.

MICHAEL WINDSOR, HEADMASTER.