With over 12000 resources, a dedicated teaching space, a comfortable reading zone, plenty of study areas, a qualified, chartered Librarian and lots of events and activities taking place, the Library is the ideal place for today's learners (and readers!) to become tomorrow's leaders.
Situated at the heart of the school, the Library is a vital, vibrant learning hub of the school, offering a safe, stimulating space for pupils, students and staff to read, study, work, think and be creative.
For all the latest news and updates from the Library, visit our Library Latest page.
For more information, watch the video on 'How to Reserve Books Using the You Click, We Pick and Deliver' service' on the Accessit dashboard.
Your reserved items will be delivered to you in class - or you can collect them on your 'yeargroup bubble' days or when you are booked in for a lesson with one of your classes in the Library!
Recommended reads and activities
We are all understandably feeling a bit unsettled by events at the moment; one way to distract ourselves and a proven boost to our wellbeing and mental health, as well as a great way of keeping our minds active, is to lose ourselves in a good book!
No need to worry if you’ve still got books on loan from the school library – just return them when we're back in school.
Put your books in the Returns Box just inside the Library door. According to COVID-19 guidelines, they will then be quarantined for 72 hours before they are returned to the shelves.
Here are some recommendations from Mrs Smith for reading-related activities, videos and author and illustrator websites; suggestions for book, ebook and audiobook sources; and suggested good reads, etc.
Mrs Smith is happy to help with any questions regarding reading for pleasure, book recommendations, research and study skills, and print and online information sources. Just get in touch.
Your Library is open every day before school (8.00 - 8.40 am), throughout the school day during lessons (but closed 12:45 - 1:15 pm), and after school until 4:30 pm...
... for browsing, borrowing, study and homework help, research, reading, listening, creating, sharing, exploring and discovering...
[Please note that owing to COVID-19 requirements, our clubs are running at different times from their usual times above - please see updates on the Library Latest pages for the time being]
During three breaks in the week (out of ten) we are closed so that members of our Library-based clubs can enjoy the advantages of a dedicated space in which to pursue their interests.
[Please note that owing to COVID-19 requirements, our clubs are running at different times from their usual times below - please see updates on the Library Latest pages for the time being]
Our clubs are:
During lesson time the Library is frequently buzzing with classes who have been brought in by teaching staff to undertake learning-related activities. Mrs Smith, the Librarian, works in partnership with the class teacher to prepare and run the lessons, enabling pupils to enrich and extend what they are learning in the classroom, as well as develop their all-important independent learning skills and confidence in using the wealth of resources, online and print, available to them.
At the start of Year 7, all pupils visit the Library on a regular basis in their Transition Curriculum lessons to help them familiarise themselves with their new Library, getting to grips with strategies for learning, and for finding, choosing and using information. They then consolidate those skills on future visits with their teachers to investigate specific topics further over the course of the year, and continuing into other years.
In their fortnightly 'IRead' lessons in English, Year 7 pupils are helped along their personal reading journeys, being introduced to a variety of genres, authors and themes and new strategies for discovering exciting things to read. They are given a Reading Journal, which is their creative space for responding to their reading.
A series of ongoing fun activities - some one-off, some annual or termly - help to give pupils an extra perspective on reading and learning. Recent activities include:
Harry Potter Book Night
The new hall at Ysgol Harri Tudur was transformed into Hogwarts Grand Hall as pupils and students enjoyed a range of Potter-related activities, including mind-bending quizzes and an explosive session on "Science or Magic" very kindly provided by Mr Male. Books on our display just flew off the shelves before and after the event!
Fall in Love with a Book
To mark Valentine's Day, pupils and students were invited to go on a 'blind date' with a book, choosing from a selection of good reads chosen by the Rebel Readers and Readers of the Round Table. The books were wrapped in brown paper, with a one-line taster on the outside. Before unwrapping, pupils and students pledged to read and rate the book, and were promised a small prize on its return.
