Rickmansworth School in Hertfordshire will host a special week of activities from 2 to 8 February 2026 to help students improve their reading and writing through music. As part of National Storytelling Week, pupils will take part in a musical storytelling project that mixes creative writing with original songs and background sounds.
The event is being held in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust as part of a country-wide effort to boost literacy. Students will use the school’s recent £6 million expansion (completed in 2024–25), including an upgraded school hall and a refurbished music block, to create audio stories that they have composed themselves.
Headteacher Mr Matthew Fletcher is opening the programme to parents and the local community to show how the school uses the arts to support student education. The Department for Education lists Rickmansworth School as an academy converter; the school also has historic specialist designations in performing arts and science (designated a Specialist Arts College in 2003 and a Specialist Science College in 2008).
The project follows recent academic success at the school reported by the Watford Observer after pupils achieved high A‑level results and successful university applications. While the Society for Storytelling is marking National Storytelling Week with a different theme, the school is following the National Literacy Trust’s ‘Soundtrack your story’ approach and is running the musical project to make the most of its strong music provision — the school selects around 10% of its Year 7 intake on musical aptitude.
