“There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.”

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

 

LRC Coordinator - Ms K Quiqley

Introduction

At St Mark’s, the Learning Resource Centre is a warm, welcoming and vibrant community where books are valued, reading is celebrated, and learning lies at the heart of students’ pursuit of academic excellence. It is an environment that nurtures curiosity, independence, and a life long love of reading.

The LRC is a learning hub, stocked with an extensive collection of junior and senior fiction and non-fiction books. Students have access to a wide selection of reading and research materials, including graphic novels, daily newspapers, magazines, journals, reference books and digital resources.  The centre is fully equipped with a computer suite, access to two trolleys of Chromebooks, a comfortable soft-seating reading area, and dedicated desk space for classes attending library lessons, tutor time reading sessions and independent research.

Aims

The centre aims to provide a diverse range of resources for pupils of all ages, abilities and interests, supporting research and independent study while also fostering a lifelong love of reading for pleasure. 

Our aims are to promote academic excellence by:

• Providing an extensive range of learning resources to support wider reading, research and independent study

• Offering a calm, purposeful and supportive environment  in which students can flourish 

• Encouraging a love of reading, intellectual curiosity and a passion for learning 

• Ensuring all students have access to high quality study materials to  support achievement and aspiration

• Supporting teaching and learning across departments through the provision of curriculum-related resources and materials  

Using the LRC

All members of our school community, students and staff, are members of the Learning Resource Centre. 

Borrowing:

• KS3 students may borrow up to 3 books for a period of two weeks
• KS4 and Sixth Form students may borrow up to 6 books for a period of two weeks
• Books may be renewed via the Accessit Library App or by visiting the LRC, provided they are not required by another user

Accessing Resources:

• Non-fiction books are organised using the Dewey Decimal Classification system, while fiction books are arranged alphabetically using the first three letters of the author’s surname
• The LRC includes both junior and senior sections to ensure age-appropriate access to resources
• Teachers may book classes into the LRC in advance through the school librarian or the computer booking system
• The LRC hosts scheduled reading lessons, library inductions for new Year 7 students and dedicated tutor-time reading sessions

Support

The LRC staff are always available to help students locate resources, recommend reading materials and support research and study. Please do not hesitate to ask for assistance.

Opening Hours

The library is open daily for all students before school, during break and lunchtime, and after school during the following hours:

• Monday to Thursday: 8am to 5pm
• Friday: 8am to 3:15pm

Reading Groups and Literacy activities

• The LRC has a number of reading groups, including those to judge book awards, such as: The Carnegie Medal, a National children's book award, which is shadowed by  schools across the country. The Hounslow Teen Read, our own local book award, judged by students from secondary schools in Hounslow.
• The LRC hosts events to celebrate National Poetry Day and World Book Day.
• The LRC has an annual Book Week, with activities and competitions, as well as a book fair and author visits.
• St Mark's students represent the school at Borough-wide literacy events, such as The Poetry Slam and Black History Month.

Year 7 Reading List

KS3 Reading List

 

 

Please click on the 'Accessit' logo for the library borrowing app