School libraries can have a transformative impact

The Life-changing Libraries Report into the impact of school libraries concludes that a well run school library can have a "transformative impact" on a whole school community.

Waterstones Children’s Laureate Cressida Cowell MBE has revealed the transformative impact on the pilot primary schools taking part in her Life-changing Libraries initiative, with an increase in a love of reading, motivation towards learning, well-being and feelings of self-worth.

'Space, books, expertise, and whole school and community involvement'

Cowell said, "My flagship Laureate initiative - 'Lifechanging Libraries' - was designed to showcase the transformative impact a well-resourced primary school library has on a child's opportunities in life, alongside the vast inequality of library provision currently facing children across England. To spotlight the four pillars of a 'gold standard' school library - space, books, expertise, and whole school and community involvement - BookTrust and I began working with six very different primary schools across England: building a bespoke, dedicated library stocked with more than 1000 specially curated books, and supporting staff with training and mentoring from specialists to develop a culture of reading for pleasure.

"It has been incredible to see the transformative impact of these 'Lifechanging Libraries' on the schools, the teachers and the children. In the words of the English Lead at Benwick Primary School has said, 'it has changed everything'."

Key findings: Children spend more time reading for pleasure

The key findings in the Life-changing Libraries report, which is published today, describe a transformation in attitudes towards reading, with an enthusiasm and passion for books ignited amongst the students of the six pilot schools and a considerable uptake in the time spent engaged in reading for pleasure both at school and at home.

Teachers have reported increased attention, engagement and motivation to learn amongst students in the classroom, alongside a significant improvement in both children and staff wellbeing, as well as a boosted sense of pride, confidence and self-worth. The full report is available to view here.

 

On launching the report, Cowell, said, "This report shares the powerful stories of the Life-changing Library schools, adding to the raft of evidence about the crucial role reading for pleasure and school libraries play in a child's life chances. A great library positively affects an entire school ecosystem, encouraging teachers, parents, students, as well as the wider community." 

Research schools

Schools were eligible if they had: more than 25% of pupils on free school meals and poor or no library provision. The six schools were selected to be as diverse a mix as possible, reflecting the many different communities across England. The group included: academy, local authority-maintained and voluntary aided schools; a mix of inner-city, estate and rural schools; large and small schools; and some within very diverse and others in very homogeneous communities.

Each school received:

Space:   A new library space, designed and provided by FG Library and Learning, a company specialising in custom made library furniture and fittings

Books:   A collection of 1000 books curated by BookTrust and other industry experts (with guidance from the CLPE) designed to be relevant, representative, inclusive and to encourage reading for pleasure. Six months after the libraries opened, schools were given the opportunity to choose 100 additional books of their choice.

Expertise:  A subscription to the School Library Association for access to high-quality staff CPD and resources online;  A year of CPD and support from Reading for Pleasure UK to embed reading for pleasure into the school culture, including an initial and end point audit of reading practices throughout the school and bespoke staff training

Community:  A launch event with Cressida Cowell and further opportunities to coordinate virtual and in-person events with authors and illustrators via Authors Aloud

They also received library management system software and support from Reading Cloud, including a scanner to allow children to scan books in and out of the library, and a Tonie Box, an interactive device allowing pupils to listen to audio books.

Throughout the project, a detailed account of each school's experience was captured through a combination of observational activities and in-depth interviews with school representatives, including executive headteachers, academy trust board members, headteachers, governors, parents, community volunteers, teachers, teaching assistants and pupils about their practical experience of the project and its impact. 

The six Life-changing Libraries schools saw impacts in these areas:

Reading engagement:  Including a transformation in attitudes towards reading, igniting an enthusiasm and passion for books among pupils; and a 'considerable increase' in the time pupils spent engaged in reading for pleasure both at school and at home; there was also an increased uptake in reading among previously ‘reluctant readers', children with SEN and boys; and an uptake in home reading practices.

Learning behaviours:   Including increased attention, engagement and motivation to learn in the classroom; anecdotal positive impact on attainment (difficult to measure due to the disruption of Covid-19); improvements in pupils' writing, particularly in the use of vocabulary and imagination; strengthened teacher/ pupil relationships; and improvements in behaviour within the classroom and at playtimes

Learning provision:   Including a more tailored curriculum, reflecting children's interests; greater ethnic, cultural and situational representation in reading resources; improved teacher knowledge and expertise; significant improvements to pupil and staff wellbeing; and increased use of local libraries outside of school

Reading enjoyment is important; OECD research shows that it is the single most important indicator of a child's future success

Sustaining the school library:  A gold-standard school library is continually updated and developed, with a yearly allocation made in the budget for new texts. A library of at least 500 quality books give children the means to access deeper learning to nourish the mind and get away from the stresses of daily life. Staff continually engage with the library, making it a regular space for staff meetings as well as learning, and build their own expertise through both developing themselves as readers and continually engaging with relevant expertise.

"Engaging in frequent book talk and facilitating the sharing of recommendations between pupils, peers and staff keeps the library and books at the heart of the school, giving strength to the reading for pleasure ethos driven by the library."

Statistics show that more than 700,000 children in the UK don't have access to a school library at all, and many more have facilities that are far from gold-standard. A lack of school libraries, particularly in deprived areas, is a social justice issue.  Funding school libraries is a way to level the playing field for disadvantaged children, and a year-on-year investment of £100 million by the government could make this a reality by enabling schools to create their own Lifechanging Libraries.