Vision of the Library

 To proactively encourage reading for pleasure.                        To develop imagination & provide life-long research skills.      To give access to quality resources for all.                            To support the school ethos & curriculum with a broad width & depth of accessible information.

Events & Activities in the Library

Recent events in the Library have included a visit by Peter Ward, author of Dragon Horse, who came to talk to Years 8 & 9 for World Book Day on 4^th March, and who signed copies of his book at a book sale for all years.

We also hold a Library Club once a week, in which we discuss books and eat biscuits. Every summer term we shadow the Carnegie Medal, an annual award for an outstanding book for children and young people, where the pupils read the nominated books and give presentations to each other and write reviews on the books they’ve read.

The first annual Bookmark Competition was a great success, and the lucky 4 winners each received a Book Token as a prize.

Pupil reviews are posted on the shelves to offer suggestions to fellow pupils and promote particular books.

Each September, every pupil in Year 7 gets a free book as part of the Booked Up scheme. This is chosen by the pupils in September from a list of around 10 books, for all reading abilities and interests, and has proven to be hugely popular.

General Information

The Library is accessible at any time during the school day. Pupils are welcome to come in during break and lunchtimes to borrow and return books, use the computers or do private study. Lower School classes also come into the Library, as part of their English lessons, to choose and read books. Pupils can borrow up to 2 books at a time for a period of 3 weeks. These can be renewed for a further 3 week loan. Reservations can also be placed on books that are on loan.

Resources

The fully computerised Library has some excellent resources and we are looking forward to Ashford where they can be extended even more fully: we have an extensive range of fiction to satisfy our avid readers and are expanding the non-fiction to fully support the curriculum and the needs of all our pupils. Click here for a link to our Reading Lists for suggestions on what to read next.

• Prospective pupils reading list
• Lower School reading list
• Upper School Reading List
• Sixth Form Reading List

There is a selection of suitable DVDs in the Library for short term loan, as well as Books on CD to encourage pupils of all abilities to read.

Daily newspapers and various periodicals are kept in the Library for reference use.

We also have an expanding Careers Library, which is available for the Sixth Form to use as part of their university preparation.

So come along to the Library and check out a book!