On 25 January, we saw the official opening of our refurbished Physics labs, where students, parents, staff and governors were given the opportunity to view the labs and take part in experiments conducted by our Physics Teachers and sixth formers.

The highlight of the evening was hearing from our guest keynote speaker, Dr Rebecca Harwin (Instrument Development Scientist at RAL Space), who delivered her Inspire Lecture, ‘From the James Webb Space Telescope to the SPEQTRE CubeSat: the many, many applications of space’ followed by a Q&A session at the end.

We thank all our school community who played a part, including parents, governors, staff, student volunteers and of course, Dr Harwin for her inspirational presentation.

Physics equipment appeal 2023

In addition, we launched our Physics equipment appeal to ensure we are fully equipped to deliver classroom, enrichment and extension activities to all our Physics students, including our wider community, through our Future Stories programme.

Practical Physics lessons enhance students' scientific knowledge while giving insight into methods and understanding scientific investigation and helping to develop their understanding of concepts in an engaging environment. 

Did you know:

• An impressive 51% of our Physics students gained A* grades at A Level last year;
• A noteworthy 87% of our students achieved a grade 9-8 in GCSE Physics last year;
• 161 students selected to study Physics in the sixth form; and
• We have an excellent record of students going on to study Physics related subjects at top Universities.

To ensure our Physics Labs are equipped with equipment and crucial resources used for experiments throughout every year group, we have launched our Physics equipment appeal 2023 to raise £13,500 for equipment such as:

• Additional electric circuit components and cables
• Boyle's law demonstration equipment
• Motor-generator demonstration device
• Jolly's Bulb sets
• Blackout blinds
• Hydraulic press demonstration system
• Additional/new signal generator

In just three weeks, we have reached over £10,700 made by 218 donors, with one parent and one OR generously contributing over £1,000 each. Thank you to every parent and OR who has contributed to this request.  We are just £3,400 short of our target now.  Every contribution is a valuable one, requesting a minimum contribution of £27, if you are able to help.

To assist us in creating an optimal learning environment equipped with essential equipment and crucial resources used for experiments, please click here to help us achieve our goal. Alternatively, you can donate via:

To make your gift go further, if applicable, please fill in an online Gift Aid form which enables us to reclaim 25p from HM Revenue and Customs for every £1 donated. By gift-aiding your contribution, we can reclaim an additional 25p for every £1, making your gift worth even more at no extra cost to you.

#payrollgivingmonth

February is #payrollgivingmonth and we would like to take this opportunity to highlight this is an easy and tax-efficient way to donate to Reading School. According to CAF (Charities Aid Foundation), 41% of people surveyed did not know if their employer has a payroll giving scheme. 

With payroll giving, the donations you make to charity are taken from your pay before income tax is deducted. The charities you care about get a regular income, your donation goes further and it costs you less.  In addition, this can also be matched by your employer.

For example:

A monthly donation of £30:

• Your salary contribution as a 20% tax rate payer is £24.00
• Your salary contribution as a 40% tax rate payer is £18.00
• Your salary contribution as a 45% tax rate payer is £16.50
• Monthly total going to your chosen charity £30.00

Please do reach out to your HR team to find out more if your donations to Reading School can go further. During these times we greatly value your support to maximize the benefits to our students.

If you would like to speak to someone regarding your contribution, please do not hesitate to contact Jas or Esther at development@reading-school.co.uk

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported this appeal so far.

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