The Abbey: Putting girls first, since 1887

For well over a century, one school in Reading has been built entirely around girls – how they learn, how they lead, and how they grow into exactly who they mean to be. The Abbey is an all-girls day school for ages 3 to 18, and this year it was named Top Independent Girls’ School in the UK 2026.

What sets The Abbey apart isn’t a single thing you can point to on a league table. It is an atmosphere – a diverse, down-to-earth community full of curiosity, enthusiasm and genuine warmth, where every girl is known by name and supported to be herself.

An all-through education, built around her

The Abbey is one of the only schools in the region to guide girls from Nursery right through to Sixth Form. That means a genuinely seamless journey: girls grow within one connected community, building friendships and confidence at every stage, without the disruption of changing schools at 11 or 16. Each transition is familiar, supported, and entirely her own.

From the earliest years, through a Junior School where curiosity comes first and girls discover what they love, and on into the Senior School and Sixth Form, The Abbey offers an extraordinary breadth of opportunity at every stage.

Outstanding results, achieved the right way

The Abbey’s academic results are outstanding, but what matters most to the school is how its students achieve them. The goal is to equip girls to live with confidence, purpose and joy – through exceptional opportunities across the widest possible spectrum of learning and activities. The Abbey offers more curriculum choice than almost any other school, so girls can lead their own learning and follow their own ambitions, whether that is in the sciences, the arts, on the sports field or beyond.

Free from the pressure to fit a mould, girls at The Abbey take risks, put their hands up, and throw themselves into everything from debating and rowing to drama, music and enterprise. They leave not only with the grades to go wherever they choose, but with the confidence to get there.

Why all-girls?

Because here, she is put first. In an environment designed entirely around girls, there is no waiting her turn, no stepping back, no editing herself to fit in. There is simply the freedom to be curious, ambitious and completely herself – and a whole community behind her while she works out who that is.

See it for yourself

The best way to understand The Abbey is to experience it. The school warmly invites families to visit and feel the atmosphere for themselves at one of its upcoming Open Events this autumn – including the Junior School Open Day. Step into a lesson, feel the buzz around you, and you will understand the Abbey spirit instantly.

To book your place, visit The Abbey | Events | Independent girls school, Reading

In partnership with The Abbey

The Abbey School in Reading is a leading independent day school for girls, offering an inspiring and supportive education from an early age through to sixth form. The school is known for its strong academic results, excellent pastoral care, and wide range of opportunities beyond the classroom. With a focus on confidence, creativity, independence, and personal development, The Abbey encourages students to become ambitious, curious, and well-rounded young women.

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