However choosing to read rather than do something more passive can be difficult. I am happy to admit that, especially in busy termtime, with pressing deadlines and tiring days, I can find myself pushing reading aside. But if you want a single activity that can lead to academic success, enjoyment, wellbeing and long-term health, then reading has to be at the top of the list. Here at Sevenoaks, we encourage reading for pleasure in lots of ways – via book clubs, reading lessons, reading time in tutor group sessions, the well-resourced and beautiful Johnson Library in the middle of the school, author talks, book-related prizes and reading expectations embedded in the homework timetable( among others). However, we would not be so complacent as to believe that we are always successful in our endeavour to create better and more committed readers, so we are always looking for new ways to encourage and inspire students to read more.
It would be difficult to measure exactly to what extent any of these factors helped our academic results to be excellent once again this year. For the record, our May 2025 IB cohort achieved outstanding results, with an average Diploma total roughly 10 points above the world average. Our mean score was 39.4 out of a maximum of 45. Our Year 11 cohort also distinguished themselves, with just under 90 per cent of all results being in the 7-9 range( the old A */ A bracket), and over 100 students achieving 10 or more grades of 7-9.
And finally – what to read? Almost anything. Fiction and non-fiction; challenging literature and fastmoving page-turners; ancient poetry and modernist classics; standard school set texts and obscure unknowns. Try asking a librarian to recommend some titles to you or some book types that you might want to explore, and see where this takes you.
Chris Taylor, Deputy Head Academic
SEVENOAKS SCHOOL 2024-2025 7