Philanthropy in practice
Reading School, which celebrates its 900th anniversary in 2025, has developed rewarding relationships with many key partners, says society manager Jas Chhokar
A
s a selective secondary academy and state boarding school for boys, we have a strong academic
record and place a high value on character education through our personalised ‘Learn, Lead and Serve – Reading Way’ framework. In 2022, we were awarded the Character Education Kitemark Plus by the Association of Character Education (ACE). We are also part of the DfE’s Inclusion in Schools programme, which aims to enhance equality, diversity and inclusion. Today, Reading School has 1,134 students, including 87 boarders and 364 sixth formers. Numbers have increased since 2016 when we grew from a four-form to a five- form entry – and this growing
20 SUMMER 2023 FundEd
demand for space has created challenges for our Grade II-listed Alfred Waterhouse building.
The Society Office Now in its fifth year, the Society Office oversees alumni relations, development and fundraising, marketing and communications, and events. The society coordinator and I have forged relations across our extended community through a high-level engagement strategy, telling the ‘Reading School Story’ that showcases the achievements of our staff and students. People give when they feel a
connection to a cause, so our aim is to build and nurture a culture of community, belonging and philanthropy. We have worked to
elevate the opportunities offered to our students by fostering partnerships which align with our core values of excellence, integrity, leadership and community.
Achievements With the support of key partners, including the Reading Foundation, Old Redingensians Association (ORA), Reading School Parents Association (RSPA) and grant-giving bodies such as the Wolfson Foundation and Garfield Weston Foundation, we’ve been able to expand and enrich much of our site and facilities. Our annual fund is supported by generous parental and alumni contributions and provides opportunities to ensure we can deliver the versatile sporting and co-curricular opportunities expected of a school of this size. Since 2012, we have developed a
new refectory, computer science facilities, four biology laboratories and three chemistry laboratories. Recently, we were able to refurbish the roof of our Big School in the Alfred Waterhouse building thanks to a generous legacy gift. In addition, we’ve carried out refurbishment of the Keeton Cricket Pavilion and physics laboratories, as well as some of the less exciting but essential parts of the school, such as toilets. The ORA annually sponsors our Book Week festival, when we
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