Writes Rachel Harrison, Assistant Librarian
Congratulations to the Merchant Taylors’ team, who recently triumphed in their regional heat of the Senior National Reading Champions Quiz, organised by the National Literacy Trust. This nationwide competition celebrates breadth of reading and literary knowledge across schools.
Patrick H. (4th), Joshua A. (U3rd), Easher S. (U3rd), and Leo M. (U3rd), with Dilan I. (3rd) as reserve, represented the school against 24 other teams in the lively online regional heat. The competition lasted two and a half hours and comprised 75 questions across eight carefully designed rounds. These tested not only recall of plot and character, but also observation and problem-solving skills too.
The range of fiction covered was extensive, from books for younger readers aged 5 and above to contemporary young adult titles, spanning genres including comedy, crime, horror, historical fiction, classics and graphic novels. Success definitely depended on wide and varied reading habits, quick thinking under time pressure and effective teamwork.
The boys demonstrated all three in abundance, scoring an impressive 60 out of 75 to secure first place in a highly competitive field.
Leo M. (U3rd) reflected on the experience:
“On the morning of 26 February, a motley crew that was the Taylors’ quiz team took part in the online regional heat. Although the challenge of 75 literature-based questions was daunting and the chance at victory slim, considering this was the first time in 15 years Merchant Taylors’ had entered, we felt we had a shot at triumph and we were right! Beating the other schools by four points, in rounds ranging from ding bats to anagrams, we came first and now look forward to the live final in London in May and the £100 book voucher we won.”
Indeed, having progressed from the regional stage, the team will now travel to central London to collect their regional trophy and compete in the live national final, at the end of which one school will be crowned National Reading Champions. We have been warned that the questions at this stage will be significantly more demanding, but the team is relishing the opportunity to compete at the next level.
We wish them every success as they prepare to represent Merchant Taylors’ on the national stage.
Thanks to Mrs South for coordinating the team’s entry and the IT team for ensuring the online quiz ran so smoothly.
