University of Reading

We can't blame this little bat for wanting to explore one of Reading's top museums.

Head to The Museum of English Rural Life's blog to find out more about its latest winged visitor:

So we found a live bat in our galleries (again) Seven years after we gave a bat a library card, another bat has visited The Museum of English Rural Life.

Sustainability isn't one project or one team, it's something we're building together.

We're proud to have been named a finalist for Sustainability Institution of the Year at the 2026 Green Gown Awards, recognising the renewed progress we've made to embed sustainability across every part of the University.

From cutting our carbon emissions by more than 60% and moving to a 100% fossil-fuel-free investment portfolio, to working alongside students and staff to drive change across our campuses, this recognition belongs to our whole University community.

As we celebrate our centenary, we're proud of how far we've come, and even more excited about what comes next.

Find out more about Sustainability at Reading: https://rdg.ac/3swkVlN

Good luck to all the finalists! 🌍💚

Here’s to another brilliant summer at the Cookham archaeological field school.

Over four weeks Reading students and staff from Archaeology at the University of Reading and a team of local volunteers, dug and delved into the site of an Anglo-Saxon monastery on the banks of the Thames at Cookham in Berkshire.

Alongside many fascinating discoveries, the team uncovered a further 37 skeletons this year - bringing the total lifted from the site to 100 since 2021 - revealing yet more evidence that the site could have been one of the earliest hospitals in the UK.

The finds and samples have made their way back to the University testing labs, the trowels have been packed away and the trenches back filled, but the team are already busy planning Cookham2027!

Discover more in this BBC article from their visit to this year's field school: https://rdg.ac/3UEf1fM

Botanical University Challenge - like University Challenge, but with plants…

And tomorrow, you can watch the 2026 final for FREE, either live at the University of Reading or online.

Ten years ago Botanical University Challenge (BUC) was created at Reading to test students knowledge of plants, ecology & conservation, horticulture and agriculture.

The competition has grown and grown, blossoming into an annual event featuring teams from across the UK.

Tomorrow sees the 2026 final return to Reading, with teams from the universities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin, who will compete to be crowned BUC2026 champions.

And there are still places available to watch the competition as it happens.

📅Wednesday 19 August, 13:10-17:30
📍Online & Live on the Whiteknights Campus

Join us: https://rdg.ac/4wuUIPr

A garden to grow alongside the next generation in Shinfield.

In our centenary year, we're inviting local families to help create a new Tree for Life Garden, in a brand new project on University land at The Ridge.

Inspired by an idea from a Shinfield resident and created with local charity Freely Fruity, 36 families will have the chance to plant a tree marking the birth or adoption of a child, creating a living legacy of 2026 for the community.

Families can help plant their tree this autumn and watch it grow alongside their child in the years ahead.

It's a small but lasting way we can use our land to support our neighbours, create greener spaces and celebrate the community we're proud to be part of.

🌳 36 trees available
📅 Apply by 27 September

Interested in getting involved?

Find out more and register now: https://rdg.ac/3SaX3AS

WE SIMULATED THE EFL SEASON 100,000 TIMES. HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED 👀

Ahead of the new EFL season, University of Reading sports economist Professor James Reade has put all 72 clubs through his Scorecasting model to see what 2026/27 might have in store.

It factors in team strength, wages and transfer activity, simulating every match of the season 100,000 times to calculate the probability of promotion, play-offs and relegation.

Among the predictions:
🆙 West Ham: 88% chance of automatic promotion
⬆️ Wrexham: 77% chance of making the Championship play-offs
📈 Barnet: 52% chance of automatic promotion from League Two
⬇️ Leyton Orient: 94% chance of League One relegation
😬 Reading: just a 4–7% chance of reaching the League One play-offs 👎👎👎

The numbers have spoken. Now it's over to the football.
Where will your team rank?
And which prediction do YOU think will age worst?

See James's full 2026/27 Scorecast https://rdg.ac/4gdLoJA

From helping everyone who called our Clearing Hotline find their place at Reading, to welcoming hundreds of our brand new students to campus for the first of our Summer Offer Holder Open Days, we’ve had an incredible couple of days here at the University of Reading.

As we close our Clearing Hotline for the weekend, we look forward to welcoming more of you to tomorrow's Offer Holders Open Day for more tours of our stunning campus and much, much more.

The Hotline will open again on Monday from 09:00 but in the meantime you can apply through Clearing online and find out more about our accommodation and student finance via our Clearing website.

🔗 https://www.reading.ac.uk/clearing/

Welcoming you to your new home.

The first of our Summer Offer Holders Days is off to a great start!

Joining us today or tomorrow? Then head to Eat at the Square to find out more about student financial support, our disability advisory service, Reading Students' Union plus our brilliant Clever Cuisine Meal Plans.

Our team of Student Ambassadors are also on hand to show you around campus and answer all of your UoR questions.