Library
The school library provides a central collection of resources for the curricular needs of pupils and staff which supports and extends teaching and learning, as well as resources for pupils’ leisure needs.
It offers a welcoming, comfortable space for study or leisure reading with a wide selection of physical material and access to a variety of online resources. It is staffed by a professional librarian who promotes reading not just for pleasure but for its fundamental role in successful learning, and who is involved in developing pupils’ information literacy skills formally and at point of need. We want pupils to grow a love of reading and for that reading to enhance their learning.
The library comprises two rooms on the top floor of the King’s Building:
- The Library contains non-fiction resources, arranged by the Dewey Decimal Classification System. Most books may be borrowed but some, plus a small collection of periodicals, are for reference only. There are three desktop computers and A3 print/scan facilities. Diverse study areas cater for different needs during the school day, private study time and Prep.
- The Kent Room houses fiction in A-Z order by author surname, plus Graphic Novels, Quick Reads and Short Stories. Sixth Form pupils may work in here unsupervised during library open hours; in the evenings it is a Sixth Form only space for collaborative working.
The Library Catalogue is available online and may be accessed here. Log in as a Guest to search for items and view the Quick Lists of curriculum-related resources. Registered users can view items on loan, renew and reserve through the My Account section of the online catalogue. The Library facilitates access to over a dozen online services including Britannica School & Image Quest; Digital Theatre Plus; eChalk; History, Literary & Science Reference Sources; JSTOR; and the Hodder A-Level Magazines.
Pupils in Years 7-9 may borrow six items; in Year 10-11 ten items; in Sixth Form 12 items. Books may be renewed twice (if not reserved) with a two-week loan period (one week for DVDs) but extended loans are allowed over school holidays. Some items are restricted to staff and older pupils.
