Our LRC has a slightly new look and feel this year with new COVID measures in place.

As in classrooms, students sanitise their hands and clean their workspaces before use. When choosing books, any that are handled are now placed on a trolley where they are cleaned before being replaced, while any that have been used for a lesson or taken home are set aside for 72 hours before being processed.  After school homework club is running once again with year groups strategically placed to keep ‘bubbles’ separate.

Year 7 have settled with enthusiasm into their Library Skills lessons and are excited at the range of books, both fiction and factual.  Each lesson involves a period of quiet reading – a rare chance to relax and really get into their longer books or the opportunity to browse factual books on any topic that interests them – so much more fun than the internet! In addition, we include a variety of short activities that promote reading for pleasure and develop their other literacy skills – speaking, listening and writing.  These include whole class reading of short stories/extracts, both serious and fun, with associated quizzes or analysis of vocabulary.  Around Holocaust Memorial Day we read from Eva’s Story – a true account of the day a family were arrested and deported by the Nazis; another time, as a complete contrast, students focused on the descriptive language in an extract from Demon Dentist to draw the main character.

Alongside library skills, how to use the Reading Cloud and Sora, and developing book review skills, students are encouraged to read and enter story writing competitions.  Lessons regularly involve word-building puzzles, anagrams and games; introduction to new authors and books. We already have a waiting list for one of the books featured in our ‘match the author to the title’ challenge!  The lessons provide an opportunity for some personal guided reading and developing a culture where reading is celebrated and enjoyed.

We were pleased that before lockdown we launched our first Carnegie Shadowing Group and despite the difficulties of not being in school, our group of 13 students and Mrs Turton, managed to read over 40 books between them!  During lockdown, they shared their views on the books and took part in a number of votes – best cover, best book so far etc and we  finally met to discuss the books and vote for the Bushey Meads Shadowers’ Choice which will count towards the outcome of the actual award.

With break and lunchtime access to the LRC limited to years 8, 9 and 10, students can search Reading Cloud for a particular title or author.  If books show as ‘available’ students can then email Mrs Turton with their request and to arrange collection. In addition to printed books, a search in Reading Cloud will now show whether a book is available in our ebook library; students would then log in to Sora to download the ebook or audio book.   For anyone who would like a recommendation, Mrs Turton has shared a Book Selector Questionnaire that students can complete and return – a small selection will then be made available for them to choose from.

We have been especially pleased to see our sixth form borrowing books from the Sixth Form Library – we have made a substantial investment in developing the range of non-fiction material and academic journals available for all year groups.

Happy reading,

Ms Bowe and Mrs Turton