St Joseph's College Reading
St Joseph's College Reading was an independent Catholic co-educational school in Reading, Berkshire, delivering all-through education from ages 3-18. It served Reading/Berkshire families through tuition, holiday club, swim school and venue hire, and permanently closed on 10 July 2026.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1894
- HeadquartersReading, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What St Joseph's College Reading does
St Joseph's College Reading is an independent Catholic co-educational school located on Upper Redlands Road, Reading, Berkshire (England), founded in 1894 by the Sisters of St Marie Madeleine Postel and operated as a charitable limited company (Charity No. 277077, Company No. 1400984). It provided all-through education from ages 3-18 across the Acorn Centre (3-4 years), Prep School (Years 1-6), Senior School (Years 7-11) and Sixth Form (Years 12-13), with the school positioning itself as 'the best value independent school in Reading and Berkshire' with fees held below market rate.
The school generated revenue principally from tuition fees, supplemented by ancillary services including a Holiday Club for children aged 3-13 (£44-47/day or £220-235/week), a Swim School from age 4, wrap-around extended-day care managed through Magicbooking, and venue hire of its sports facilities, swimming pool and grounds. Go-to-market was direct-to-family via open events, school tours, taster sessions, coffee mornings with the Head, a digital newsletter and an Instagram channel, supported by a strong parent referral and alumni network (300+ attendees at recent reunion). The school held ISI regulatory compliance (all five standards met under the new framework, November 2025) and ranked 50th out of 4,500 nationally for 16-18 progress.
On 7 July 2026 the Board of Governors announced closure at the end of term, citing rising costs, the introduction of VAT on independent school fees, and the removal of business rates relief; BDO LLP were appointed Joint Administrators on 14 July 2026 and the school ceased operations on 10 July 2026 after 132 years. The technology stack comprised standard educational administration platforms (SchoolBase, Magicbooking, SchoolCloud, SOCS, SchoolPost, BridgeU, Vimeo) with no proprietary AI or differentiated technical assets.
St Joseph's College Reading firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- St Joseph's College Reading
- Legal name
- St Joseph's College
- Website
- https://sjcr.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1894
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- St Joseph's College Reading was an independent Catholic co-educational school in Reading, Berkshire, delivering all-through education from ages 3-18. It served Reading/Berkshire families through tuition, holiday club, swim school and venue hire, and permanently closed on 10 July 2026.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
St Joseph's College Reading industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Independent School Education
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC)
Keywords
Where St Joseph's College Reading is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Reading
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
St Joseph's College Reading business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- School Tuition Fees: Core revenue from tuition fees for students aged 3-18 across Acorn Centre (3-4 years), Reception, Years 1-6 (Prep), Years 7-11 (Senior), and Sixth Form.
- Holiday Club: Holiday club services for children aged 3-13 during school holidays, offered at £44-47 per day or £220-235 per week, with half-day sessions at £25.50. Includes hot lunch and snacks.
- Swim School: Swimming lessons and programmes for children from age 4, run independently and also serving external students.
- Extended Day Care: Wrap-around care services before and after school hours, managed through Magicbooking system.
- Venue Hire: Facilities available for hire to external parties, including sports fields, swimming pool, and school facilities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Weekly | Holiday Club Early Bird Rate |
| Subscription | Weekly | Holiday Club Standard Rate |
| Subscription | Per session | Holiday Club Half Day |
| Subscription | Weekly | Young Leaders Programme |
| Subscription | Weekly | Specialist Camps (Summer) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
St Joseph's College Reading product offering
Product offeringCore offering
St Joseph's College Reading is an independent Catholic co-educational school providing all-through education from age 3 (Acorn Centre) through Sixth Form (Year 13), plus ancillary Holiday Club, Swim School, Wrap Around Care, and external venue hire. The school offered small-class, value-priced independent education rooted in Catholic Christian values, with strong pastoral care and a broad co-curricular programme. It officially closed on 10 July 2026 after 132 years of operation.
Product overview
St Joseph's College Reading is an independent Catholic co-educational school offering all-through education from ages 3-18. The core educational offering consists of the Acorn Centre (ages 3-4), Prep School (Years 1-6), Senior School (Years 7-11), and Sixth Form (Years 12-13). Beyond the academic curriculum, the school provides enrichment programs including the Student Extension Programme (STEP) for gifted students, HaLE (Humanities and Languages Enrichment), Duke of Edinburgh Award, and Sport & Outdoor Education with facilities at the University of Reading. Additional services include Holiday Club childcare (ages 3-13), Swim School, Learning Support through the CLARITY programme, Pastoral Care & Mental Health Support, Careers & Futures Advice with BridgeU integration, and an Alumni Networking Platform. The school has closed as of July 2026 after 132 years of operation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Acorn Centre: Early years education centre for children aged 3-4 years
- Holiday Club
- Swim School
- STEP (Student Extension Programme)
Products and services
- Acorn Centre (Early Years, ages 3-4) Early years education programme for children aged 3-4, part of the school's all-through independent co-educational journey. Targets families seeking nursery-level education rooted in the college's Catholic, inclusive ethos.
- Prep School (Years 1-6) Primary education programme for Years 1-6, building foundational academic skills alongside pastoral care, co-curricular activities (sport, music, drama, art), and the Catholic values-based ethos.
- Senior School (Years 7-11) Secondary education programme for Years 7-11, preparing students for GCSE examinations with core and optional subjects, including admission via interviews (Year 7+) and assessed entries.
- Sixth Form (Years 12-13) A Level education programme for Years 12-13, offering a range of A Level subjects with personalised tutorial support, BridgeU university matching, UCAS support, mock interviews, and the biennial Careers Convention.
- Holiday Club School holiday childcare programme for children aged 3-13 years, open 8am to 6pm with full-day and half-day sessions, hot lunch and snacks included, plus specialist summer camps (Gymnastics, Brickies Lego). Open to both pupils and external community families.
- Swim School Swimming instruction programme for children from age 4, utilising the school's indoor heated swimming pool with qualified lifeguards. Offered to current pupils and external students.
- Wrap Around Care (Extended Day) Extended day childcare service before and after school hours for enrolled students, managed through the Magicbooking system.
- Venue Hire Hire of school facilities (sports fields, swimming pool, gymnasium, event spaces) to external parties including local schools (e.g., Redlands Primary), community organisations, and individuals.
Companies that use St Joseph's College Reading
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
St Joseph's College Reading technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature2 records
St Joseph's College Reading partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- University of ReadingcorePartnership providing access to extensive sports facilities including 11-a-side Hockey Astro, grass football and rugby pitches, 3G pitches, tennis courts, netball courts, and a 37m x 32m sports hall. Students benefit from professional-grade sporting facilities to complement on-site amenities.
- YamahacorePartnership with Yamaha enables the school to offer pupils top quality, well-maintained Yamaha pianos. Part of the collaboration includes sponsored visits from leading pianists to provide masterclasses with piano pupils, enhancing music education quality.
- London Mozart PlayerscoreProfessional music ensemble that attends the College yearly to play alongside pupils in lunchtime concerts and masterclasses, providing students with exposure to professional musicians and enriching music education.
- Kidmore End Primary SchoolminorSt Joseph's GCSE and A Level Music students were commissioned to compose a school song for Kidmore End Primary School. School council members visited the Music Centre to discuss their school's values.
- Redlands Primary SchoolminorRedlands Primary School uses St Joseph's sports field for their sports day and has access to the swimming pool, demonstrating community facility sharing.
- Thomas Franks FoundationcoreCollaborative partnership building a school allotment with greenhouse, raised beds, and growing zones where pupils learn practical aspects of planting and garden growth.
- CAFODcoreCAFOD Young Leaders Programme in Year 12 enables students to partner with other Catholic schools to learn about and respond to social justice issues. Students volunteer at Flame Congress at Wembley Arena and meet with MPs on sustainability.
- Sylvian Domiciliary Care and Alzheimer's SocietyminorSixth Form students partner with Sylvian Domiciliary Care and Alzheimer's Society to deliver 'Singing for the Brain' support service for people living with dementia, their carers, family and friends.
- Portsmouth DioceseminorYear 12 pupils participate in Duke of Edinburgh Award expeditions to Lourdes with Portsmouth Diocese, which has offered the opportunity to other students for next summer.
- Reading Refugee Support GroupminorCollege Charity for 2023-2024, supporting local refugee support initiatives.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
St Joseph's College Reading competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Reading Blue Coat School: Independent all-through school (ages 3-18) located in Sonning Common near Reading, Berkshire. Directly comparable as a co-educational independent day school competing for the same Reading/Berkshire family cohort with overlapping fee positioning and curriculum.
- Queen Anne's School: Independent girls' boarding and day school in Caversham, Reading, serving ages 11-18. Direct geographic competitor in the Berkshire premium independent-school market for senior and sixth-form pupils.
- The Abbey School, Reading: Independent girls' day school in Reading offering education from nursery through Sixth Form. Direct geographic and curricular peer to St Joseph's, competing for the same Reading family market with similar academic and pastoral positioning.
- Leighton Park School: Co-educational independent Quaker school in Reading serving ages 11-18 (with sixth form). Direct local peer operating in the same Reading catchment with overlapping academic and co-curricular offerings to families.
- Prior Park College, Bath: Catholic co-educational independent day and boarding school in Bath. Mrs Stotesbury served as Deputy Head (Academic) at Prior Park immediately prior to St Joseph's, indicating a directly comparable operating model, size and Catholic ethos positioning.
- Queen Elizabeth's Hospital (QEH), Bristol: Independent co-educational day school in Bristol with junior and senior phases. St Joseph's Head, Mrs Stotesbury, previously taught there, indicating direct professional and operational comparability in size, structure and curriculum model.
- St Mary's School Ascot: Catholic independent girls' boarding school (ages 11-18) near Ascot, Berkshire. Highly comparable as a Catholic values-led independent school; the recent hire of St Joseph's Lay Chaplain from St Mary's highlights direct talent flows and competitive overlap.
Broad incumbents
- Malvern College: Large, established co-educational independent boarding and day school in Worcestershire. Comparable to St Joseph's in independent-school delivery model and educational philosophy; a previous employer of St Joseph's Head indicating direct professional familiarity.
- Bedford School: Long-established independent boys' day and boarding school in Bedford with significant co-curricular and academic breadth. Comparable as a UK independent school of similar heritage scale where the St Joseph's Head previously taught Economics and Business.
Emerging players
- Bearwood College: Small, recently-reopened independent co-educational school in Wokingham, Berkshire. Highly comparable as a sub-100-employee independent school in the Reading/Berkshire catchment that also faced closure and entered administration before being re-acquired, providing a direct restructuring precedent for St Joseph's.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
St Joseph's College Reading social profiles
Digital presenceSt Joseph's College Reading compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
St Joseph's College Reading financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
St Joseph's College Reading leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
St Joseph's College Reading funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
St Joseph's College Reading M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about St Joseph's College Reading
What does St Joseph's College Reading do?
St Joseph's College Reading is an independent Catholic co-educational school providing all-through education from age 3 (Acorn Centre) through Sixth Form (Year 13), plus ancillary Holiday Club, Swim School, Wrap Around Care, and external venue hire. The school offered small-class, value-priced independent education rooted in Catholic Christian values, with strong pastoral care and a broad co-curricular programme. It officially closed on 10 July 2026 after 132 years of operation.
Is St Joseph's College Reading a public or private company?
St Joseph's College Reading is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently closed.
When was St Joseph's College Reading founded?
St Joseph's College Reading was founded in 1894. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is St Joseph's College Reading based?
St Joseph's College Reading is headquartered in Reading, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does St Joseph's College Reading make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. School Tuition Fees are the primary driver. The others are holiday Club, swim School, extended Day Care and venue Hire.
Who are St Joseph's College Reading's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Reading Blue Coat School, Queen Anne's School, The Abbey School, Reading, Leighton Park School, Prior Park College, Bath, Queen Elizabeth's Hospital (QEH), Bristol and St Mary's School Ascot. Broad incumbents are Malvern College and Bedford School. Bearwood College is listed as an emerging player.
Does St Joseph's College Reading have an API?
No public API is recorded for St Joseph's College Reading.
What industry is St Joseph's College Reading in?
St Joseph's College Reading's product category is Independent School Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJABAC, Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools. Its NAICS code is 6111.