Here at Tudor Grange Samworth Academy we are passionate about reading. We know that reading has a massive impact on children’s education and that the enjoyment of reading has been reported as more important for children’s educational success than their family’s socio-economic status- there is a positive link between reading for enjoyment and scoring well on academic tests. As such, reading is at the heart of everything we do within our Academy. The Academy has an extensive library, The Maryanne Wolf Library, where pupils can borrow books for up to two weeks at a time. We have invested significant resources to ensure that the best and newest books are available for our children to read and enjoy. We are also able to buy a book if it has been requested by a student.

Our primary section includes a range of fiction and non-fiction titles. Our primary library books are in AR coded sections to allow our youngest students to easily pick out a book that matches their reading level. We also have a growing selection of graphic novels for our primary students. We run our Primary Library Club every Thursday, open to children from years 3-6. This club is an opportunity for some of our youngest readers to learn how to use the library including learning how to use the Dewey Decimal system and checking their own books out, alongside more creative activities such as helping to create displays and designing their own bookmarks.

For our secondary students we have a substantial range of fiction novels grouped by interest, including (but not limited to) fantasy, romance, horror, classic literature, poetry, short stories, Black voices and science fiction. Our secondary fiction section includes a growing selection of graphic novels and manga. Our secondary students can also take advantage of the “try these books if you enjoyed…” section, which offers suggestions of what to read next if a student has enjoyed a class text within their English lessons. Our non-fiction is fully Dewey decimalised and includes sections on all subjects studied within the school, along with revision guides, and texts on other academic disciplines such as philosophy, law, economics and technology.

Throughout the day, The Maryanne Wolf Library provides a quiet learning environment for those pupils who may be working independently or within small group settings. During breaks and lunchtimes, the library is open to those who wish to read, complete homework, study or socialise quietly in a relaxed atmosphere. We run a completely silent library on Wednesdays (as opposed to quiet chat on the other days of the week), to aid those studying for tests or exams.

The Maryanne Wolf Library is also home to Careers Information, Advice and Guidance (CIAG) where pupils can access a range of careers information, including college prospectuses and general help with CVs and Personal Statement writing for UCAS applications.

Competitions

We run at least two competitions per term within The Maryanne Wolf Library. These competitions vary in theme, with past creative writing competitions including themes on horror, love, school, a diary extract and individuality. Other past competitions have included non-fiction academic writing and creating a book review after reading a book from the library. There are a variety of prizes on offer for winners including Amazon Kindles, Waterstones book vouchers, a book pack chosen by the winner, bookmarks and stationery.

Student Librarians

Our student librarians are part of our Student Leadership Team. If interested, a student applies for a position working within the library during some of their social time- one break and one lunch time per week. After interview, the successful applicants learn how to run the library- from working the desk, to creating displays, to Dewey Decimalising- our student librarians are at the heart of our library. Alongside the upkeep of the library, they are the first to mention exciting new books we must have and work hard to create a warm, inviting atmosphere for our students.

Our Student Librarians also have the chance to volunteer to become Rich Readers, a programme in which a secondary student reads with a primary student that needs extra support with their reading. During the programme, the secondary student sees the primary student once per week, during secondary lunch time (after an early lunch). The aim of the programme is to encourage children who may be struggling with their reading through peer instruction and mentorship. The programme is very popular with our secondary students and librarians and has been a huge success on both sides of our Academy.

BookTrust Represents

Each year The Maryanne Wolf Library partners with BookTrust Represents for an author visit. BookTrust Represents is a programme created to promote and improve the representation of people of colour in children’s books so that all children read a range of books that reflect them and their wider communities.

Each year our year 7s have the fantastic opportunity to listen to an author talk about their work and ask questions, alongside receiving a free copy of their book. We have had Sue Cheung visit to talk about her book “Chinglish”, and Jeffrey Boakye talk about his novel “Musical Truth: A Musical History of Modern Black Britain in 28 Songs.” Past cohorts have really enjoyed this experience and been enthused by meeting an author and getting to speak with them about their experiences and their writing. It’s a once in a lifetime experience for our children that is enjoyed by every year group that has participated.

Quotes from the Pupils

“I really like how there is a wide range of fiction – I love the Japanese fiction section!” – Arkaduisz, Year 8

“I love how we can give the librarian suggestions for books to buy and she will get them for us. It’s great as it means we always have new things I want to read!” – Cody, Year 9

“We can sit in our library and read peacefully – it’s great” – Ella-Mai, Year 6

“I like how many study materials the library has. It has all of the revision guides I need for my GCSE’s. The vibe is relaxed and comfortable in the library, it’s a nice place to be and work.” – Renee, Year 11

Accelerated Reader

Currently the Academy uses the Accelerated Reader Programme throughout Years 1 to 7. Accelerated Reader is a powerful tool used for the monitoring and management of independent reading practice, helping our pupils to read for pleasure. A full Parent’s Guide can be found below.

Books in both the Primary Library and Main LRC are levelled in accordance with the programme, allowing pupils to read books within their reading range in order to accelerate progression.

Library Opening Times (Supervised)

Monday to Thursday: 8.30am – 4pm

Friday: 8.30am – 3.30pm

Please note, some after school revision sessions will run past these times but these will be communicated by the supervising member of staff at the time.