In April, our school proudly secured a £500 grant from the Siobhan Dowd Trust through the School Library Association. This generous funding was designated for purchasing books from an independent bookshop, enhancing our library’s collection.
To ensure the new additions would cater to diverse interests, we invited all students to share their book preferences. The resulting wish list was wonderfully varied, featuring genres and topics ranging from golf and Formula One to fantasy, dystopia, and romance.
With this comprehensive list in hand, we selected ten of our most avid readers from Years 7, 8, and 9 for a special trip to Chorlton Bookshop. The visit was a delightful experience for both staff and students. Watching the books being scanned and filling up four large boxes was a highlight, especially when the enthusiastic sales assistant encouraged us to “add more books!”
These newly acquired books will soon be available in our school library, ensuring that a maximum number of students can enjoy and benefit from them. This initiative not only enriches our library’s offerings but also fosters a love for reading across our school community.
“At Saint Paul’s we recognise the importance of instilling a love of reading in every student.,” explained Mrs Savova, Librarian. “The trip to the book shop was such a pleasure, it was fantastic to see how interested and enthusiastic the students were.”
Mr Sharrock, English teacher and Literacy Coordinator, commented: “Research shows that students’ literacy and reading skills have a major impact on their futures, and we recognise the importance of children engaging with reading; when reading opportunities increase, so does fluency and stamina, which in turn often increases their enjoyment of reading. Therefore, the link between students’ motivation to read and reading for pleasure is reciprocal.”