Headmaster's Weekly Bulletin - 7TH JANUARY 2022
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Headmaster’s Weekly Bulletin 7TH JANUARY 2022 Reading School 1
Contents Contents 2 Introduction 3 Key Information 5 All Years 5 Online Safety 5 Parental queries about subject progress 5 Year 11 and Year 13 5 Job Vacancies 5 Reading School’s ‘Year of Reading’ 6 Excellence, Integrity, Leadership & Community 7 Student Excellence 7 Community 8 RSPA 8 Support for students in receipt of Pupil Premium and Free School Meals 8 Welcome back 9 Reading School 2
Introduction
My closing wish in the last Bulletin during the end of the Michaelmas Term 2021, was for all to have a safe and happy
year ahead. It is in this spirit that I would like to welcome back the whole school community after the festive holiday in
readiness and anticipation of our Lent Term 2022. I am personally looking forward to our upcoming new school-wide
reading campaign, billed as ‘Reading School’s Year of Reading.”
Mindful of the fact that we would be launching our ‘Year of Reading’ in the Lent Term, I have
recently been reading to improve professionally as well as reading for pleasure. ‘Down and out in
England and Italy’ by Alberto Prunetti provides a snapshot of life on the margins in modern-day
Britain. Prunetti states in the foreword:
‘This is a work of autobiographical fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places and events are,
either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to
actual persons, living or dead or to actual events is purely coincidental. Sort of.’
The phrase ‘sort of’ hints at the serious but comedic narrative that meets the reader. An emphasis
on language, on dark humour and critical observations makes it an enjoyable read. Reading for pleasure and reading
beyond the specification are characteristic of intellectual curiosity which is a trademark behaviour for high performing
students, and one that elite universities look out for.
Professionally, as Headmaster, I am committed to setting the direction of the School that
promotes a culture of high performance through The Reading Way. Professor Damian Hughes,
an Ambassador of The Reading Way has co-authored a work with Jake Humphrey, entitled ‘High
Performance’, with a subtitle ‘Lessons from the Best on Becoming Your Best.’ Thank you to my
son for buying me this for Christmas. Mrs Kesteven has assured me that a number of copies will
be available in the LRC in due course. It is not quite the same as sharing holiday photographs but
I would like to share some of the key learning points I gained from devouring this excellent,
accessible and practical book. (The main photo from Christmas would be of the Oven exploding
just before Christmas day in the Robson household) Damian Hughes would have been proud of
how we reacted and thanks are due to my next-door neighbour David, who demonstrated a
community spirit at its best.
What is meant by the phrase ‘high performance’ and what does it mean for us? According to Phil Neville, quoted in the
book, high performance can be defined as, “Do the best you can. Where you are. With what you have got.”
In considering the issue of mindset, the authors consider the importance of taking responsibility. When we go through
periods of challenge and relative failure, it is perhaps natural to look for someone to blame. Something may not be our
fault but our reaction is our responsibility. We should therefore commit to focusing on what we can control and focus
less on the things that we cannot control. Thus, we should respond to the problem or situation at hand. Currently there
may be a tendency to consider problems to be pervasive, permanent and personal. Whereas, if we consider that they
are most likely to be specific, temporary and external, we will adopt a high responsibility mindset which focuses on
what can be achieved, rather than what is not possible. Thus, we cannot control what happens to us but we can
control our response.
We can seek to demonstrate our shared commitment through the process of The Reading Way to the right mindset,
behaviours and collective team culture. High performance begins in the mind, before you behave like a high performer
you need to think like one. Next comes behaviour, where mindset and attitude are tuned in to concrete, consistent,
repeated actions. Then, through behaviour, the culture of high performance is carried to teams and groups. Therefore,
high performance has a ripple effect.
January is a time for reflection and setting goals for members of the Reading School community. Our shared goal for
2022 should be to demonstrate our commitment to high performance that emphasises taking responsibility for our
actions, creating a high-performance culture that goes beyond the individual and spreads throughout the organisation.
This culture of commitment is shaped by a positive mindset which impacts daily behaviour and habits and
subsequently shapes team, House, Department and leadership culture. We want to create an atmosphere in which
everyone feels safe, supported and able to perform at their best.
Reading School 3
How important is having a sense of purpose?
We should seek to be more motivated by finding answers to the questions: ‘What for?’ and ‘What does life expect of
you?’ When we find a sense of purpose that is greater than ourselves it drives our sense of motivation. We need to
focus on the activities that resonate with our sense of what really matters, and of who we are. When behaviour aligns
with values, value is added. When we feel part of something bigger than ourselves, for example, a team, a House, a
community, an organisation, a school, we can sustain our motivation for longer. As a school our purpose is to build
people of substance and character and help develop our students to be characterised by academic excellence and
high performance in all areas.
How important is attitude?
According to Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes Formula 1 Team, ‘The most dangerous phrase in the language of a high
performer is ‘We have always done it this way.’ Talent is the spark for high performance but habits are what keep the
fire burning. High performers take responsibility for their actions and motivate themselves, play to their strengths and
act creatively. But all this is of limited value if it cannot be maintained in the long run.
How important are trademark behaviours such as respect?
As a School, we want to work in partnership with parents and students to ensure that all commit to putting our values
into concrete actions. We are committed to promoting consistent behaviours. The importance of showing respect must
be seen as a crucial, trademark behaviour for all members of the Reading School community. Showing respect should
be part of what sort of people we are, part of our positive identity. The importance of showing respect to staff, each
other, ourselves and our environment is a non-negotiable behaviour. Professor Damian Hughes, an Ambassador of
the Reading Way, maintains that trademark behaviours are a key ingredient in high performing individuals and
cultures. Indeed, Sean Dyche, Manager of Burnley Football Club, emphasises trademark behaviours such as ‘The
minimum requirement is maximum effort’ and ‘Give us your legs, hearts and minds.’ At Reading School, we are
looking for cultural architects – individuals who are able to break down barriers, people who are able to change the
mindset of others.
How important is creating a culture where people feel safe, valued and respected?
We should not act in isolation. We should positively impact others, through a ripple effect. Enabling sustained high
performance requires a process of collaboration. It requires the nurturing of a positive attitude. Arguably it is possible
to have all the talent in the world but without the right attitude – the ability to be open, to listen and learn – you are not
going to achieve. We are committed to enhancing people who are invested in the organisation, who have a strong
connection to it. We want to support our people who feel invested in our purpose to nurture academic excellence and
build people of substance and character. The best cultures make people feel safe, valued and respected. We will
redouble our efforts to ensure that all members of our community feel safe in a trusting and caring environment. This
is valid in both the Day School and Boarding. We want to develop a strong culture that safeguards our people and
emphasises trust and openness. We seek to emphasise the importance of responsible use of social media by all
members of the school community, including parents and students. The culture of respect should be evident in all our
forms of communication.
Overall, a number of the ‘Lessons from the Best on Becoming Your Best’ will help shape our operational approach
and priorities in 2022. The emphasis on mindset, behaviours, culture and teams is consistent with the core values of
Reading School and the strategic priorities evidenced in the 2022-2025 Development Plan and 2022 Annual
Operational Plan. We will be seeking the views and voices of students and parents in the Lent Term to help us
progress on our drive to do the best we can. Where we are. With what we have got.
Mr AM Robson
Headmaster
Reading School 4
Key Information All Years Online Safety Safeguarding remains a priority for our school in keeping the whole school community safe and informed in how to increase safety and wellbeing while decreasing risks. We would encourage all members of our school community to take some time to review our regular Online Safety Newsletter which highlights useful information, trends, tools, resources and updates in relation to today’s online world. To access this month’s Online Safety Newsletter, please click here. Parental queries about subject progress We would like to remind all parents about the system of raising a query about any subject concerns. Please can all communication be directed to the tutor in the first instance so they can coordinate and liaise with the class teacher or appropriate Head of Department on your behalf. The tutor needs to have this overview and will share information with subject colleagues along with the Head of House if appropriate. Thank you for supporting us with this process. Year 11 and Year 13 We congratulate our Year 11s on the completion of their mock exams prior to Christmas and wish our Year 13s all the best for their current mock exam week. These mock exams are a valuable opportunity to check progress towards the final exams in the Summer, re-orient our focus and redouble our efforts. Reports with results will be sent out via MCAS (with accompanying email) before the end of January. Teachers will be giving students thorough feedback in class, which should be acted upon and seen as the start of an improvement process, rather than the end of an exam process. Parents of Year 11 students should click here for a letter that was sent to all Year 11 students at the start of this week by Mr Fairchild, Assistant Headteacher (Quality of Education). Job Vacancies We currently have vacancies for the following positions: Management Accountant Teacher of Computer Science If you know of anyone who may be interested in a vacancy, please share with them. Reading School 5
Reading School’s ‘Year of Reading’ As we enter a new year, we are delighted to be launching a new school-wide initiative: Reading School’s Year of Reading. Throughout the year we will be challenging the whole Reading School community to engage with reading-for-pleasure through a series of activities and challenges. The first of these challenges will be for Key Stage Three, with more to come soon. Students in years 7 and 8 will be asked to complete a series of reading challenges to help them broaden and expand the titles that they enjoy, whether that be borrowing a book from the LRC by an author they haven’t read before, or delving into a short story or graphic novel in place of a go-to series. Students can download a bookmark from the Reading Schools Student Teams channel with the challenges on to help them track their progress and keep a record of their new discoveries. You can also keep an eye out next week for the latest episode of our Reading School Recommended Reads Podcast which will further support students in finding new titles to enjoy. Previous episodes can be found by clicking here. If any staff, student, governors or parents have any ideas or suggestions for activities or if you would like to take part in an episode of our Reading School Recommended Reads Podcast please get in touch with Mrs P Ellis on PEllis@reading-school.co.uk In honour of the launch of our Year of Reading, our school Poet Laureate Dan T has written a poem on the theme of reading and language which we are honoured to share with you: Reading School 6
Excellence, Integrity, Leadership & Community
Student Excellence
Year 9 student Vedhant A was featured as part of the Eden Project’s ‘The Inside Out
Project’ which showcased portraits of individuals making a difference in the field of
education for sustainable development (see front cover image). Vedhant’s portrait was
one of 50 featured as part of the project after he contributed to the Eden Project’s
Changemakers programme along with also creating bespoke resources, running a
fundraiser and creating his own version of the Eden Project using Minecraft.
“Right now, the world doesn’t just need its next great leaders. It needs its next great
changemakers.”
Lord Jim Knight
Congratulations Vedhant and your interest and commitment to sustainable causes has
been clear through your work and we support your efforts in becoming a leader and
changemaker.
Year 10 student Yoghan J has gone the extra mile with his recent Physics presentation ‘Mics vs Speakers’ which
clearly shows that he has gone to great lengths to make it an engaging piece of work and also demonstrates a good
grasp of the subject matter. Well done Yoghan and the effort you’ve put into your work is commendable.
We look forward to showcasing more examples of notable student work and achievements throughout this term and
into 2022.
Reading School 7
Community RSPA The Reading School Parents’ Association would like to wish you all a very happy and healthy 2022. Committee Meeting Wednesday 19th January 2022 7:30pm on Microsoft Teams. We look forward to welcoming you all to our first committee meeting of the year on Wednesday 19th January at 7:30pm on Teams (link to follow in next week’s Bulletin). Amazon Wishlist We would like to thank all of you who made such generous contributions to the Teacher’s Christmas Wishlist. Together with a contribution from the RSPA all items have now been purchased and we are looking forward to shortly presenting these to the School. We look forward to providing you with more detail next week. Silent Auction As we venture into 2022, one of the many exciting fundraising ideas the RSPA is working on is a Silent Auction. Silent Auctions allow people the opportunity to bid for goods or services such as beauty treatments, photography sessions or complimentary entry to an attraction. In view of this, we would like to ask if you have any brand-new items you would like to donate. These could include unwanted Christmas gifts or any unopened and unused items you have at home. We are also assembling Rainbow Hampers in our House colours. If you have anything in those colours (County - burgundy, East - pink, Laud - light/sky blue, School - green, West - yellow/gold) we would love to have them, including any unwanted hampers or baskets you may have left over from Christmas. Alternatively, if you can offer a service we would love to hear from you. Please contact Dina Chima if you can help in any way dchima@readingschoolparents.co.uk Love from The RSPA Team Support for students in receipt of Pupil Premium and Free School Meals We would just like to take this opportunity at the start of a New Year to remind parents that as a school we remain committed to providing for and supporting access to opportunities for all of our students. Additional financial support is available for students in receipt of Pupil Premium via the Reading Promise and through the Bursary for students in Year 12 and 13 (previously in receipt of pupil premium). Please contact Tom Evans, Assistant Head, by emailing TEvans@reading-school.co.uk with any queries or for assistance in making a claim, or for a conversation about how we may be able to support your child in 2022. Reading School 8
Welcome back
Year 7s during break
Reading School 9
Character Education through ‘The Reading Way’ delivered to Year 7 and 8s by Mr T Evans Reading School 10
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