Our Learning Resource Centre, known by the school community as the LRC, is a welcoming space for private or group study, for classes, or for readers to simply relax with a good book!
Our collection
The LRC houses a multitude of resources to support learning across the curriculum and reading for pleasure.
Our fiction sections include the Junior, Young Adult and Senior fiction sections and these are constantly upgraded. In addition, there’s a wide range of non-fiction works, magazines/journals both in paper and digital formats and subscription databases, which enable students to access up to date, reliable and relevant information at the point of need.
Access is provided through St Mary's Cloud LRC tile and the LRC Teams channel. There are tailored recommended reading lists for the whole school community, including a specific list of books ideal for students with dyslexia.
A place for inspiration and imagination
If you would like a book recommendation, ask our Librarian: Miss Simms (MA LIS). We also have Library Assistants, ranging from Year 7 through to Sixth Form students on hand to help other pupils.
A suggestion box is available to all students to put forward their ideas for new books, author visits, or general proposals for the LRC. We also appreciate feedback from and follow up on Student Voice comments. The school community undertakes a yearly library use survey to help track how the library is serving its users.
One of our key aims is to encourage and promote literacy, and to foster a love of reading. Several extra-curricular clubs are based in the LRC, including Book and Manga Craft Club, EAL Reading Club, and the Dungeons & Dragons club.
Supporting teaching and learning
Library lessons are delivered as part of the English curriculum for Years 7 and 8 on a fortnightly basis and termly basis for Year 9s. Year 10-13 can access research support in 1-to-1s with the librarian and at drop ins throuhgout the year.
Library assemblies happen annually and this is a chance for the school community to learn more about the LRC, databases and inspire a love of reading and enquiry based learning for life.
St Mary's School LRC is a member of the School Library Association and works with the Independent Shool Librarians in the Eastern Counties Network.