The Information Centre

• Satisfy the information needs of pupils and staff
• Promote reading for enjoyment
• Assist pupils in becoming independent learners
• Encourage study and relaxation in an attractive and welcoming environment
• Foster students' skills in the use of ICT

The library encourages pupils to foster an enjoyment of reading as well as to develop research skills related to retrieval, evaluation and use of information. These skills enable pupils to become proficient independent learners. The library within the beautiful school grounds, provides pupils and staff with spacious accommodation within reach of classrooms. Its facilities extend to before and after school provision of workspace for whole classes, small groups and individuals undertaking private study or just reading for pleasure. It is staffed by a professional librarian, and assisted by a team of library assistant and pupil assistants, who are always on hand to help users access a wide range of traditional and electronic resources to support both their curricular and leisure interests.  Not only does the Library house subject-specific electronic packages, but pupils can also use the network to locate library resources, search the Internet, word-process their work and create presentations either in the dedicated IT suite, or remotely on school laptops or within the quiet study environment of the Gerald Coke Library.

Talks by visiting professional authors and creative writing workshops are a regular feature on the library programme. This offers pupils an opportunity to work with experts in children’s literature.

The library also provides an opportunity for pupils to purchase books from the bookshop. We feel ownership of books from a young age is an important part of their literary development. Pupils may chose from a wide selection of current titles available on the shelves or order virtually any book in print, opening up an immense wealth of literature, non-fiction and educational material.