Our library is run by our student librarians who curate and request the books needed to promote a curiosity and love of reading. Mrs Symmington and the English department facilitate the students to have a safe space at the heart of our school; the library is a home for all! A place to read, learn, create and become an ambassador of reading. We want students to be passionate about reading and to be role models for their peers.
The library allows students to request books and to regularly be exposed to spotlight themes linked to our Catholic Social Teaching such as Dignity, Peace and The Common Good. We also link to Cultural Capital opportunities by promoting female authors during International Women’s Day, introducing texts on the Holocaust during Holocaust Memorial Day and a range of Black authors during Black History Month … to name but a few! We believe at STM that reading is the bridge to other cultures, societies and empathy. In the letter of his holiness Pope Francis, on the role of Literature in Formation, his holiness writes “in moments of weariness, anger, disappointment or failure, when prayer itself does not help us find inner serenity, a good book can help us weather the storm until we find peace of mind.”
What happens in our Library
On a Monday and Friday lunch time the library is home to a peer led reading intervention called Cozy Reads, where Y7 and Y8 students read and focus on passage comprehension supported by their peers. We began this in September 2024, and it has been a tremendous success, students have hot chocolate and read a range of texts based on their reading age. This group has nurtured friendships between mentors and mentees, build confidence and increased reading ages!
Every breaktime and Tuesday to Thursday lunchtime the library is open to all students. We encourage students to read, discover new texts, complete homework and take part in a range of craft activities. On a Wednesday lunch time, there is a focus on crafts teaching students a range of skills from origami to crochet! The library is a hive of activities but also a space our students are proud and passionate to look after. Since reopening the Library in September 2024 – we are incredible proud of the work of staff and students to provide a wonderful environment.
Our approach to Reading and Literacy
The library is focal point of our whole school approach to literacy. We firmly believe that reading and a strong vocabulary is the foundation to success across all subject areas and a fundamental skill that will take our learners on their academic journey to Aspire to Be More!
| Our universal offer for all pupils | Our whole school literacy policy is at heart of our whole school curriculum. STM reads take place in form time from Year 7-11. The delivery of this programme is steeped in research and aims to foster a love of reading whilst promoting vocab, use of grammar and creativity. |
| Across our curriculum | All subjects will deliver 2 reading lessons per half term. The texts are linked to the subject. This is either directly linked to the lesson content or exploring articles beyond the classroom. This could include biographies, news articles, modern research, letters or texts which generate further interest or debate. Pupils will demonstrate new vocab and will show their comprehension abilities by summarising the text. |
| Targeted intervention | Within the library a multilayered approach to intervention takes place: Fresh Start focuses on phonics level intervention on a 1:1 basis firstly possibly moving onto small groups of three. Better Reader develops both sentence completion and passage comprehension on a 1:1 basis. Sessions are tailored to students’ needs and last for 15 minutes at a time. Lexia is a computer-based programme which focuses on Word study, grammar and comprehension. Group sizes are between 6-10 and gaps in learning are filled through 1:1 support Cozy Reads in a peer led reading group which focuses on building confidence, passage comprehension and developing students’ vocabulary |
