Welcome to the Learning Resource Centre, incorporating the Library

The librarian is Mrs. Morley.

Contact details: hilary.morley@coombesheadacademy.org.uk

The LRC is open from 8.30 a.m. until 3.15 p.m. Tuesday to Friday.

Students are able to access the LRC during opening hours to study, undertake research, complete homework and read/change books. There is also a small selection of games and jigsaws for use during breaks 1 and 2.

The LRC is accommodated over two floors, at the heart of the school. The fiction library, and the majority of the non-fiction library, is on the main floor, together with tables and some soft seating. The upper, mezzanine, floor houses the rest of the non-fiction library and a number of computers, together with a small number of tables.

The library stock consists of more than 30,000 books, with approximately 7,000 of these being fiction titles covering a wide range of authors, genres and reading abilities. We review and refresh our stock throughout the year to maintain the quality of our offering but also to broaden the range of titles offered, seeking out new and emerging authors, authors celebrating the diversity of the global community, and some challenging topics.

The LRC hosts a range of workshops and events during the year, working with departments across the school, to celebrate World Book Day, Black History Month, Interfaith Week and more. The English Department organises a workshop once each half term to enhance and broaden our students experience of reading, literacy and learning.

 

Love Reading

Since April 2022 our focus has been to encourage our students to ‘Read for Pleasure’. There are plenty of benefits, beyond developing reading fluency, for those who enjoy losing themselves in a book. Reading for pleasure can;

• increase empathy
• improve relationships with others
• reduce the symptoms of depression
• improve wellbeing throughout life.

Students are free to choose from any books in the library, either fiction or non-fiction. In both formal, and informal, discussions with their English teacher and the librarian, we explore their reading choices and level of engagement with their texts. All are expected to take responsibility for their personal reading journey, guided and supported by the staff, and are regularly challenged to select appropriate titles to ensure they are making progress towards more complex stories of increasing length, to enable students to fully access the wider curriculum as they move through the school.

Strategies for supporting your child

Be interested – ask about the book they are reading – plot, characters, themes, predictions

Be sensitive – give your child the opportunity to discuss any delicate themes that arise

Be relaxed – provide a calm, stress-free environment that cultivates enthusiasm

Be a role model – let your child see you reading for pleasure on a regular basis at home