Create a library for our school

https://westcountry-group.wistia.com/medias/zupsf4erqh

Our students have been without a library for over five years. A significant increase in the pupil population left us with a severe shortage of classroom space, so it was necessary to use the space as a classroom.

In Spring 2024 the library was re-opened, but it is in desperate need of attention and cuts to school funding mean we are simply not able to address these issues.

We are working to address these issues, and it is our wish to provide our pupils with a place where they can escape and become lost in a world between the pages of a book. Somewhere they feel safe. A place that they want to visit because they know that there’s something for them.

We are keen to forge stronger ties with the local community, to expose our students to local writers and artists, expand their knowledge and develop an appreciation of the skills and talent that exists beyond the school gates.

Equally, we believe that we have a role to play in offering people a place where people can showcase their skills and talents. Somewhere warm and safe that local groups can use to come together in, perhaps for bingo, book clubs, reciprocal reading, storytelling, mother and toddler groups or charity events such as Macmillan Coffee Morning.

The school already offers the use of many of its sports and drama facilities to community groups, so we see this as a natural extension of our existing offer.

National Literacy Trust research has revealed that children and young people who like to read are three times more likely to have better mental health than those who don’t.

Research from Dr David Lewis shows that reading as little as six minutes a day can reduce stress levels by 60%, by reducing your heart rate, easing muscle tension, and altering your state of mind. That same study showed that reading is better at reducing stress than music, drinking a cup of tea, going for a walk, and playing video games.

Reading helps children to feel more optimistic, to see a world in which they can achieve their dreams and develop higher-order thinking skills. Books build children’s understanding of themselves and their identities and provide ‘windows’ - transporting them into worlds beyond their own, fostering greater empathy and understanding of the world.

The cost to completely overhaul the library is around £50,000, and this doesn’t cover the cost of expanding and improving our books. As you will know from the significant media exposure, school budgets are increasingly tight and to overhaul our library we need your support.