Reading at Cansfield
The school library is one of the busiest and most welcoming spaces in our school. Open every break and lunchtime, it offers students a calm and friendly environment where they can enjoy reading for pleasure, focus on homework, or simply take a quiet moment in their day. For many, it is not just a library – it is a place to relax, feel at home, and share a love of stories with friends.
Our library is supported by a brilliant team of student librarians, who help to keep things running smoothly. They take on responsibilities such as organising shelves, recommending books, and assisting their peers in finding what they’re looking for. This gives them a real sense of leadership and pride in contributing to the school community, while also making the library feel like a space that belongs to the students themselves.
Reading is at the heart of school life, and the library plays a key role in this. Students take part in reading lessons in the library, where they can explore a wide range of genres and authors, build their confidence, and strengthen their literacy skills. These lessons give them valuable time to discover books that spark their curiosity, broaden their horizons, and develop reading habits that last a lifetime.
Students that require extra support with reading and vocabulary, beyond what is provided in the classroom, will attend intervention sessions that specifically target individual needs identified through diagnostic testing.
We also believe in celebrating reading beyond the classroom. Each year the library hosts a variety of special events, including our popular World Book Day activities, which bring the whole school together to celebrate stories in creative and fun ways. We also welcome visiting authors, who share their experiences of writing, answer students’ questions, and inspire young people to see themselves as future readers, writers, and creators. These events make reading come alive and show students that books are more than just pages – they are windows into other worlds.
With thousands of books available in the library, there is something for everyone – from gripping adventures and thought-provoking classics to fantasy, mystery, biographies, and the latest bestsellers. Our collection grows every year, with new titles carefully chosen to reflect the interests and recommendations of our students. Whether a student is a keen reader, just starting to explore books, or looking for the perfect story to match their hobbies, they will always find something exciting waiting on the shelves.
More than anything, the library is a space that builds community. It is where friendships are made, ideas are shared, and students discover the joy of reading together. For parents, it offers the reassurance that their child has access to a wide range of high-quality books and opportunities to grow as a confident, curious, and enthusiastic learner. For students, it is a place where they can be themselves, explore their interests, and be inspired every day.
One Year 7 student summed it up perfectly:
“I love going to the library at break and lunch because it’s calm and there’s always a new book to try. It’s one of my favourite places in school.”
Our library is much more than a room full of books – it is the heart of our school.
