English

E N G L I S H

Daniel T (12MK) becomes Poet Laureate

Daniel T (12MK) takes over the position from our current Poet Laureate George R (13AC). On reading Dan’s inaugural poem ‘A Murmuration of Pigeons,’ George commented that he was “captured by the poem's image, which had a captivating dynamism that I particularly enjoyed; it is from a poet whose work I'm excited to read more of.”

‘A Murmuration of Pigeons There in the glare of a cloudless clear sky A murmuration of pigeons went circling by. The flap of their wings was like beats on a drum Converging and merging to one steady thrum. And gyrating above me with effortless ease They swooped with their wingtips outstretched on the breeze Each pigeon a pearl in the diamond-blue air Parading in beauty, adroitness and flair And swirling and whirling like dust in a storm Not once did they crash with the rest of the swarm Through pivots and spirals and swift undulations They soared side-by-side in stunning formations. And nobody knows how they flock without rules With their whispering wings an assortment of jewels. Though their senses are sharp and their instincts are strong, The birds come together because they belong

The Minds Underground 2022 Competition

The Minds Underground 2022 Competition saw over 1400 students enter from across the globe. The competition provides students with an opportunity to engage in university-level research, enhance writing and argumentative skills and prepare for university interviews. There is one senior winner for each subject category. Each winner will receive a £30 voucher to use on either U2 Tuition or Minds Underground as well as a customised Resource Pack in their university application subject. Congratulations to Josha G (11C) who came 2nd in the Philosophy category of the essay writing competition. Although the competition is aimed at students in Year 12, Josha did admirably and his entry can be read by clicking here, “Can we talk, or think, about everything that exists?”

Branson R (11S) wins 2021 Reading Foundation McIlroy Essay Competition

The McIlroy Essay Competition has been running in its current format since 2013, and the English Department would like to thank the Reading Foundation for its continued generous support and funding of the £250 prize. Branson decided to take part while on a trip to the Lake District with his dog over the summer as a way to practice long-form writing which will help with EPQs next year. His response to the title: “Happiness Is…?” was anonymously judged by the panel, drawn from the Reading School staff and members of the Reading Foundation, to be a terrifically inspiring and well-expressed piece of writing.

" I think the competition is a great chance for you to write about something you are passionate about, and I think everyone should have a go because writing in this form is a great life skill to hone before university.” Branson R (11S)

Year 8 Creative Writing

In Year 8 English lessons, students experiment with a wide range of genres and forms for their writing. Here’s one Shakespearean soliloquy written by Michael B, who has imagined himself as a Jacobean villain out for blood…

My Villainous Soliloquy

You know she came so close to breaking me. I toiled so hard every single day. I come in filled with stress and anxiety, coming into the classroom to battle against Mrs Geraghty-Green Every single lesson I have plotted about what I would do when the time came. About how I would bash and burn and break, or cook her, as a fine dine-able steak. And the time has come, and I am ready I am filled with hatred and rage for her I shall quote Shakespeare on the board with her blood! I will bash her head with dictionaries And fill my pens with the slime of her guts I will crush her under housands of books and underline my date with her flattened skull I’ll use her gunky remains to glue her on the ceiling, beside the jelly cube. And I will throw glue sticks at her like what she would do to me every single day. Thud. Thud. Thud. I will not stop throwing until she has Rotted away, and mold seeps into her cracked bones, and poisons her like she poisoned y mind with her so-called teaching and the sweet taste of revenge will drown out the rotting stench of blood in the carpet. Michael B (8W)