By Geoffrey Stanford, Headmaster, Royal Grammar School Newcastle
Reading shapes our children’s lives. I can still recall the books that inspired me and opened doors to new worlds, from Horatio Hornblower to the Hobbit.
Today, there are a variety of ways children can engage with books, whether in hard copy, reading on a kindle or listening to audiobooks. RGS students are encouraged to discover their favourite way to read and to do so daily. That is why we are proud to be wholeheartedly supporting the National Year of Reading campaign.
Led by the National Literacy Trust and The Reading Agency, the Year of Reading comes at a crucial moment. Reading for pleasure is at its lowest level in years. Busy lives, digital distraction and the pull of instant entertainment all play their part, yet the importance of reading has never been greater. It expands minds, builds confidence, fuels creativity and quietly equips young people with the curiosity and resilience they need to thrive.
At RGS, we believe reading should not feel like an obligation. It should be a joy. That is why our entire community has chosen to ‘go all in’ for the National Year of Reading. From our Junior School Reading Ambassadors, who proudly champion their favourite books, to teacher recommended reads displayed on classroom doors, to Sixth Form students volunteering to support literacy in local primary schools, reading is visible, shared and celebrated daily across the school.
We encourage our students to read widely but, more importantly, to read willingly. Whether that is fiction or non-fiction, poetry or prose, history or fantasy, what matters is that reading sparks curiosity and genuine enjoyment. As Mrs Wall, Assistant Head (Pastoral) at RGS Junior School, put it recently, “Developing a love of reading is the passport to a lifetime of knowledge, adventure and wonder.” That passport should be open to all.
Our commitment to reading is not new. In fact, it is woven into the very fabric of our school. RGS has always had a library. Some of the earliest books in our collections date back to the sixteenth century – precious volumes of Cicero, Aristophanes and Plutarch that survived civil war, rebuilding and centuries of change. They remind us that reading has long been at the heart of an RGS education, even when books were rare and precious objects.
Today, our libraries continue that tradition. The Junior School library is a welcoming space where a love of stories begins – a place for imagination, shared reading and early independence. In RGS Senior School, the Library and Archive sit at the academic heart of the school: calm, light filled and thoughtfully designed, with reading corners alongside collaborative workspaces. It is a space where students can pause, reflect and read for pleasure, as well as study and research.
The National Year of Reading aims to reconnect students with the joy of reading everyday. That message resonates strongly with our school community. When reading becomes social, visible and fun, it no longer feels like effort. It feels like belonging.
As a school celebrating over 500 years of learning, we are proud of our history, but we are equally focused on the future. By nurturing a genuine love of reading today, we are equipping our students not just for exams but for life.
www.rgs.newcastle.sch.uk