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Community & Partnerships
Reading School Students deliver Joy to Old Redingensians Community
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During December, Year 7 and 8 students wrote Christmas cards to over 400 Old Redingensians, over the age of 65, to share the start of their journey at Reading School and to let you know we are thinking of you. The affinity campaign launched last year, acknowledged that so many of us had spent long periods in isolation due to the pandemic and the youngest members of our community wanted to spread Christmas Joy. The last two years have highlighted that connecting with others is more important than ever.
The Headmaster and the Society Office would like to thank everyone who has reached out to the School to express their joy and thanks for receiving Christmas cards this year, from around the world. We are always delighted to hear from you. A huge thank you to the Heads of House and Tutors in Year 7 and 8 who coordinated and supported the students. For all the logistics and organisation, a special thank you to Mrs J Chhokar (Society Manager) and Miss Hutchinson (Society Assistant), supported by Mrs D Raval (Receptionist) and Mrs P Hickman (Admissions). The cards were kindly sponsored by the RSPA.
The cards depict the facade of Reading School, illustrated by local artist Thérèse Lawlor. The card has been left blank inside for the user to add their own message and enable flexible usage. The A6 cards with envelopes are made from recycled materials and are available to purchase for £5.50 for a pack of 6. Commissions welcomed by contacting Therese@tight-five.com.
Careers Convention 2022
In March 2022, we welcomed over 800 Reading School students and parents, over 40 representatives from diverse employment sectors and professions, along with 4 keynote speakers from multinational organisations. Students from years 8 to 13 were invited to our biennial event, which represents a particularly important opportunity to support pupils to make decisions about their GCSE, A-level and higher education options. The evening featured many local employers from a wide range of industries (from Law to Science) who all met with students to discuss career pathways. Organisations include: ARUP; BDO LLP; KPMG LLP; Royal Berkshire Hospital NHS; Wood plc; National Grid and RAL Space, to name a few. Our sponsors were Leiper Gupta Family Lawyers, Wiser Academy and King Energy.
"I’ve lost my voice, as I didn’t stop all evening speaking to enthusiastic students. It is fantastic to come back and be able to give back in some way, especially as this is where it all started for me. If it had not been for Reading School I would not be where I am now.”
Neeraj Mawkin (OR 2008), Director (CS)
Four keynote speakers shared their experiences and insights throughout the evening during a series of inspiring talks.
Martin Millmore, Engineering Manager, shared his career journey from Cern to Google, with some key messages about building resilience while navigating a career and how we can all adapt and learn from setbacks.
Michael Wilson (OR 1991-1998), Director at Citi, shared his exciting career with several investment banks and various IT start-ups and consultancies. He provided an overview of the overlap between IT and finance.
Tom Whipple (OR 1993-2000), Science Editor at The Times, shared how writing for the Reading Rag (a Reading School newspaper) took him on an adventurous career in writing which combined his love for Mathematics and Science with journalism Representing InvestIn, Orla Harper, a Partner Development Manager shared tips on creating a CV, employability skills, building a personal brand and the importance of networking.
We are beholden to our sponsors LGFL, Wiser Academy and King Heating & Plumbing, our keynote speakers, Old Redingensians and parent delegates and partnership with Investin.
W R I T T E N B Y B R I G I T T E S C H W A R T Z
R E A D M O R E
Reading School hosts Connect Reading
Reading School hosted Connect Reading's Member Networking event in April. The agenda was the Circular Economy and how it can work across sectors to transform our environment, our communities and our economy. The event saw a range of local organisations coming together to hear about what the Circular Economy is and how it can work across sectors to transform our environment, our communities and our economy.
Visit from the Mayor of Reading, Rachel Eden
The Mayor of Reading, Rachel Eden visited Reading School this morning and spoke with our school's Member of the UK Youth Parliament, Kalvin Gavrilov, students and Headmaster, Mr A Robson. Not only did she speak of solidarity, but she also spoke with students about equity, diversity, and why living in Reading should make us all feel proud.
Learn, Lead and Serve
Supporting Children In Care
The Reading School Community came together to support Here4U, Wokingham Borough Council’s Children in Care Team. Led by Community Prefect, Ransen (13JP), the food collection contributed to Christmas Hampers being packed and delivered by Here4U to Children in Care and Care leavers.
The response received was evidence of the whole school community’s generosity and charity which will go a long way in supporting local children in care. The items donated were added to festive Christmas hampers and delivered by Wokingham’s Children in Care Team to children and young people in need and unable to spend Christmas with their families. Thank you to everyone who contributed once again demonstrating the Redingensians' generosity. Well done to Ransen P (13JP) on demonstrating exceptional leadership skills from start to finish working with the Community Relations Office. We are proud of the fact that our students not only excel academically but also champion character, teamwork and commitment to others.
Supporting #Presents4Patients at the Royal Berkshire Hospital
As one of the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust’s closest neighbours, the Reading School community supported the Christmas Gift Tree Appeal - #Presents4Patients donating gifts for younger patients and the elderly. This appeal was successfully led by Mayank M (Year 12) the gift collection contributed to presents for the young and old who would be spending their Christmas in the hospital. Mayank M (12MD) said,
“I felt a strong urge to help brighten Christmas for those who would sadly be in hospital. Due to
COVID-19, hospital visitations for patients was restricted and so it was more important than ever to help those in hospital over Christmas. It’s safe to say the Reading School Community demonstrated to me that morning that their generosity and compassion knew no bounds. To receive so many gifts that four tables proved to be too few made me so grateful to be part of such an amazing community that came together on Tuesday to help support a worthy cause. Overall, we filled up four tables, with many more gifts placed in boxes underneath. The total number of gifts surpassed an incredible 500, with a variety of toys, clothes, chocolates and books donated generously by students, teachers and parents."
Well done to Mayank M (12MD) on representing excellent leadership skills and following through on his passion to support the sick during the festive period, with some logistical help from his kind mum. Together, we contributed to helping the hospital exceed its goal in collecting over 800 gifts for its patients whilst signifying the incredible community spirit and generosity Reading School has to offer.
The Cowshed becomes Reading School's charity partners for 2021-2022
The Cowshed is a charity that provides support to people of all backgrounds in a time of personal crisis. Established in 2018 and fully operational since mid-February 2019, they are growing fast, receiving increasing numbers of referrals including Health Visitors, Social Services, Foodbanks, Schools, refuges, Churches, Doctors and several other local charities. We provide the items that are requested free of charge. The Cowshed has a three-way impact: helping those most in need within our communities, recycling used clothing and creating community groups. We are privileged to have been able to support a variety of individuals of all ages in very different but difficult situations including those fleeing domestic abuse, individuals and families experiencing emergency rehousing, health issues resulting in poverty, the homeless, emergency custody situations, poor housing conditions to name but a few. All of these people are in our local community and required help with clothing, shoes, bedding, curtains and other essential items.
Community Support from the Cowshed & Care4Calais
During the May half-term break, staff and pupils from Reading School supported an event organised by The Cowshed, 52 Lives and Care4Calais to support local refugee families living in the Reading area. Over two days, 200 families attended an event held at Bearwood Recreation Ground in Winnersh and they all got an opportunity to eat, play and spend time together, outside of the hotels where they are accommodated. A BBQ, sports activities (organised and run by our schools’ staff and students) along with arts and crafts were all available to enjoy and we would like to thank The Cowshed for the opportunity to allow our staff and students to put our values into practice.
" To see the smiles and laughter was just wonderful and the glee with which our friends tucked into food ("the best part") reminded me how very difficult it is for them to be eating the same food day after day, with a lack of choice and no table to eat at. Experiences like these make a big difference to asylum seekers, giving them a chance to meet and bond with each other, but also to feel valued. The Cowshed are so good at offering charity with dignity."
Sam Jonkers, Regional Lead Care4Calais Berkshire, South Oxfordshire and Hampshire
S T A N D I N G W I T H U K R A I N E
Following the school’s community-wide appeal for Ukraine, our Deputy Headmaster, Reverend Dr Chris Evans travelled to the Polish/Ukraine border in April to continue our collective efforts in offering support to Ukrainian families impacted by the ongoing conflict. He aimed to match families (who now find themselves as refugees) with volunteer host families from the schoolwide community in the Reading area and beyond. He has spent time visiting temporary shelters where thousands of Ukrainian refugees are sheltering and sleeping on camp beds for the past 4 weeks. Boarded-up shops, railway station buildings and office blocks are being used to shelter Ukrainian women, children and the elderly. After speaking with refugees from Mariupol, Kyiv and Kharkiv, some were delighted at the possibility of a longer-term solution to the crisis, others were living in hope of a swift return to their homes in Ukraine. 100’s of Polish volunteers were helping to feed, guard and care for those who are entirely vulnerable. In 1938, Reading School was privileged to be involved in the kinder transport scheme and was able to host some Jewish students. Parents and our local connections have agreed to host up to 49 Ukrainian families in the Berkshire region and attempts to match refugees with host families have been made.
From Reading with Love: A convoy of hope
The Redingensians community, with help from the Abbey School and King’s Academy Prospect, St Mary’s School in Burghfield filled a convoy of six trucks and three trailers that travelled to the Polish-Ukrainian border, with donations then being taken onwards to Kyiv and Kharkiv in Ukraine.
Goods stored in the Chapel were boxed and loaded into trailers with the help of more than a dozen Reading School staff, parents, 75 students and eight members of the Reading School Parents Association (RSPA), led by Kirsty McInnes (Chair of RPSA) who oversaw the packing efforts and delivery of the convoy to Poland. Donations of goods and funds amounted to: 3.5 tonnes of fish, 2.5 tonnes of meat, 2 tonnes of baby food, 25 boxes of sanitary products, 300 sleeping bags, 300 can openers, and 1250 bags for life including higher-value foods which are almost impossible for people in Kyiv and Kharkiv to find. The overwhelming show of kindness has continued beyond this first appeal. A heartfelt thank you to all our students, parents, staff and wider community who have joined in force to support the Ukraine appeal.
Artists for Ukraine
Artists for Ukraine is an initiative co-led by artists at the University of Reading and in Reading town, a fundraising campaign receiving donations to support ‘Kuhknia’ (Kitchen) a private network of volunteers who are cooking meals, sourcing medicine and other vital supplies and arranging temporary accommodation for refugees stranded in Western Ukraine, in the cities of Lviv, on the Polish border, and Uzhgorod, on the Hungarian border. An Artists for Ukraine art exhibition and emergency art sale took place on Thursday 24th March at Open Hand Open Space Studios. The exhibition featured donations from over 50 international artists as well as from members of the Reading art community. It was organised by the parents of Year 13 student Uriel K (13EF) and was supported by Reading Ukrainian Community Centre, Reading School, the Deputy Mayor and Cranbury College.
Reading School Boarding Community Run for Ukraine
Our Boarding community got together to raise money for the refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. Led by Miss E Fondu (Teacher of French; Deputy Boarding Mistress), Uriel K (13EF) and East Wing boarders Sam T (12JP) in South House and Mathew W (13DAW), the entire boarding community took part in a sponsored run from Monday 21 to Sunday 27 March.
Together, they managed to run, cycle and row 2,500km, the distance from Reading to Kiyv, having planned to reach Lviv! Overall, they raised £4144 for the Artists of Ukraine.
Christopher D (7S) leads Easter Raffle
Year 7 student, Christopher D (7S) organised an Easter raffle campaign to raise funds for the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Appeal. His dedication included connecting with local supermarkets to secure over £100 worth of raffle prizes; considering the dietary requirements of other students; leading on how to plan his raffle, creating community through engaging with others and more. Overall, £393 was raised and will contribute to making a positive impact in helping those in need at this time.
interview with Mr K Lutijn (Teacher of Geography and Ukraine Support Lead)
Reading School hosts Ukrainian Students
As part of the school’s effort to aid those affected by the crisis in Ukraine, some of our students and staff helped introduce their Ukrainian counterparts to life at Reading School in the hopes of supporting their education in the UK. We are incredibly proud of our community that continue to demonstrate dedication and compassion in their concern and care for our guests from Ukraine. We would like to express our admiration towards the Ukrainians who have become apart of the Reading School Family under such abrupt and stressful circumstances. In such times, we can understand that anyone who embodies our values of Leadership, Integrity, Community and Excellence can consider themselves part of our family. Mr Kees Luteijn (Teacher of Geography) kindly volunteered to introduce some of the Ukrainian students to the school. Here is what he has to say about his experience:
How have you been helping the students recently?
"I’m leading on the curriculum side of things. The students are in normal lessons about 40% of the time. The rest of the time, they’re either seen one-to-one or in small groups with staff members who have given up their time to help them. They’ve got sessions in English, the sciences and maths for that. They’ve also got sessions run by Sixth Form students to support them in the gaps in between and I’ve been organising that and helping to run some of those sessions."
How do you feel about this opportunity to help?
"It's inherent within the school’s values that we serve both the local and the international community. I think that most staff and students can learn a lot from hosting those Ukrainian students as well and I think that they are going to provide a lot of value to the school community. It’s a completely different skill to teach English as an additional language. Equally,, it’s a new challenge for the Ukrainian students and for them to integrate into the British school system and everything is completely alien to them."
Finally, why do you think that its important that our school be involved?
"These are people that have been put in these dire situations through absolutely no fault of their own and they’ve arrived in a foreign country without much help. These are people that have faced tremendous hardship and we need to do everything we can to give them some sense of stability and normality. They have been through a massive change; their lives have been turned upside down and it’s probably been a really tricky process to get where they are now. We want to provide them a safe space between 8:20 and 15:30 where there isn’t going to be any major changes and give them some stability in their lives so that they may continue their education. As a school, I think we have to do that. Its going to be tough. There are hurdles that we’re going to have to overcome, but I believe it’s possible."
By Lucca K (Year 12 - Work Experience with the Society Office)
PSHE Session with the Abbey School
As a school, we have been seeking ways to look outwards and build partnerships with our local community to benefit the outcomes of our students. One of these ways has been an exciting new collaboration with The Abbey School. Following a meeting between our schools in early February, a commitment was made to create opportunities between respective Sixth Form students to kickstart conversations around real-world issues.
The first of these collaborations, led by Ms A Stratford took place in late February during a podcast format between Reading and The Abbey School students and the discussion focussed on all forms of gender discrimination, towards both men and women. The second collaboration between the schools took place on Friday 25th March which saw whole year groups of 6th Formers visit each other’s schools, to continue the discussion around gender discrimination. The overwhelming response from students and staff from both schools was positive and all expressed a desire to continue this partnership with the potential to span into joint academic classes.
“ I think the day was a huge success: everyone seemed to get on well and socialising did not seem too much of a problem. In my group, everyone was able to make meaningful discussions, and no one’s voice was silenced. I feel like I learned more from in-person discussions with girls from my age than I would have from other teaching methods surrounding this topic. I would recommend our schools continue this initiative in the future.”
Aryan G (13VGG)
P A R T N E R S H I P S
Berkshire Vision
As part of our ongoing work in partnering with local organisations within our community, we hosted an art exhibition organised by Berkshire Vision, a charity established in 1910 to provide support for visually impaired children and adults. The charity, based opposite our school on Erleigh Road offers a range of support including social activities, a befriending service, adapted sports, employability services and remote activities. The art exhibition offered an opportunity for Berkshire Vision members to share and talk about their experiences of creating art with limited vision, along with helping to change perceptions of sight loss.
Phantom Brewing Co. becomes Reading School's Events Sponsor for 20212022
We are delighted to announce Phantom Brewing Co. as our official events sponsor in support of our Building for the Future Fund. The team were at the first event of the summer, our Grand Reunion Day on Saturday 9th July. Phantom Brewing Co. is a local craft beer brewery based in Reading, Berkshire. They are supportive of local causes and delighted to work with local groups and organisations in the community. Owner Dane White attended the Reading event at Reading School in April as one of many local organisations who came together to hear about what the Circular Economy is and how it can work across sectors to transform our environment, our communities and our economy.
F U T U R E S T O R I E S
The Science and Me programme, sponsored by Johnson Matthey, as an extension of our Future Stories programme, aimed to demystify the world of Science for Junior School students, allowing them to experience a laboratory environment and get to grips with experimental work. We invited approximately 180 pupils in the Reading Area, from Years 4-6 to take part in some exciting experiments. Students from Battle, Kennet Valley and Oxford Road schools came to Reading School during Belonging Week and beyond to experience learning Science in our state-of-the-art school laboratories, ably mentored by our Year 10 students and academic specialists. The collaboration contributed to transforming how young people engage with science-related subjects so that inspiration and attitudes could be shaped. We look forward to continuing to making an impact in widening access to science with Johnson Matthey.
Future Stories
Future Stories Support Campaign
Our Flagship ‘Futures Stories’ Social Mobility Programme for Pupil Premium and Looked After or Previously Looked After Children, is now in its sixth successful year and has been shortlisted in the 'School/College of the Year' category as finalists for the 3rd year running.
The main objectives of the Future Stories programme are: 1. To develop the leadership skills, capacity and capability of students currently at Reading School, by working in partnership with state primary schools. 2. To raise aspirations and widen access to Reading School for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Our target is to substantially increase the number of pupil premium pupils and looked after pupils who apply to take our entrance test. In order to gain admittance to Reading School all children must achieve the qualifying score to be eligible for entry.
The COVID-19 crisis has focused our attention — this year we are determined to do more and do it better, using the creativity of students and staff to find new ways to engage students and schools in the productive learning and online mentoring activities on offer.
The Future Stories Support Campaign is a collective fundraising effort made each year by all members of the Redingensians community –alumni, parents, current and former staff and other friends of the school. By supporting this campaign, you are helping promising students from disadvantaged families access a wealth of co-curricular opportunities. We are grateful for our key supporters of the Future Stories Programme making this change possible. For further information about our Future Stories Programme, please email development@reading-school.co.uk
