Denmark Road losing library

[Mantaray]

Did anyone else’s daughter get the email from the head today?
Can’t say I’m a fan of the rather patronising tone

[Phoenix-Mum]

Did anyone else’s daughter get the email from the head today?
Can’t say I’m a fan of the rather patronising tone

About the library? Would be interested to know
Thanks

[tulips]

What does it say?

[Mantaray]

“Dear all

You love your school. I get that. I love that you love your school. I love it too.

So it is great to hear you talking about the physical changes we are making to the school, because it shows how you love your school.

Change is exciting. It can also be challenging. Change is often necessary and for the better. Change can be hard to manage.

My email on Friday to all parents, staff and students regarding ‘The Move’ was brief, designed to let everyone know what was happening and the basic reasons why.

Some of you have spoken to us about how positive these changes will be. Thank you for taking the time to do this.

It also appears to have raised some additional questions for some of you, particularly around the LRC, so I want to address the misunderstandings that are starting to crop up.

“The LRC will have no room….”
The LRC classroom and the Sixth Form Study area at the other end will be classrooms in September. The intention is to have a retractable partition wall to what is currently the LRC classroom so that at lunch and after school the area can be opened up and used – so no loss of space here. The Sixth Form Study Area will no longer house sixth formers, years 7-11 will have that space to use as well – so those of you who currently sit on the floor between the shelves should have room to sit at a table with a chair. In effect, there will be more space to use for Y7-11.

The area where the non-fiction books are currently situated will remain partly LRC and become partly classroom. This area will be walled, however it will have windows all along the side opposite where Mrs Cordall’s desk is, so if needed this space can be used at lunch / after school as well.

So, the capacity of the LRC is not diminished.

“Loads of books will be thrown away….”
The fiction section will remain as is, although we think if we move the stand alone shelving around we could fit another block in (increasing capacity). In the non-fiction section, we will have as much shelving as possible to preserve as many books as we can/need. If the numbers of books we need are more than the space allows we will look at alternative arrangements – this could be mini libraries in curriculum areas for example. We are however asking ourselves what we do and do not need in our LRC. We have had two experts come in today to help our resident expert Mrs Cordall look into this. They conducted a Library Review today which will help us understand what is used and what isn’t and advise us on the way forward.

“The LRC provides a pastoral function for students, this will be lost…..”
Given there will still be plenty of room and Mrs Cordall will still be there running her amazing clubs and activities to engage and enthuse, this function will endure.

[kenyancowgirl]

I'm not sure that is patronising - it does sound as if there have been a lot of parents running around like headless chickens in a flap, mis-assuming lots of things (just reading this thread it can be seen that there was a drop of information and it spread into a pool of assumptions).

The error from the school was probably not passing out the full plans in the first place - this makes it very clear that they are reusing the space they have more efficiently, rather than removing the library. Let's face it, most school librarires are an under used resource most of the school day - many schools are now adding IT suites etc into the library so that they can be dual purpose - it sounds like DR is trying to do something similar.

But I would say this sounds positive, although it is undoubtably a change for those students already at the school - new y7s won't notice!

[Mantaray]

I don’t agree - this actually shows that the non-fiction part of the library will disappear with no clear plan what will happen to the books.

[kenyancowgirl]

I don’t agree - this actually shows that the non-fiction part of the library will disappear with no clear plan what will happen to the books.

The area where the non-fiction books are currently situated will remain partly LRC ......So, the capacity of the LRC is not diminished.

So not here then? That is certainly how I read it....

[dodie102]

I've been in touch with Miss Giblin about this. (I'm certainly not a serial complainer though) The LRC is now a much smaller space and regular lower school users of the library are feeling the lack of room. The letter to to the girls is very much spin I think. Denmark Road are very keen to appeal to 6th Form students (as are many schools) and a consequence of that has been re-purposing the English and Music block with now a squeeze on areas of the school available to those lower down the school. All subject specific books are now to be placed within departments and the girls have to track them down throughout the school - not a terribly practical idea and quite intimidating for those who aren't blessed with lots of confidence.

A useful, well stocked, well staffed library is, in my humble opinion, an absolute must for a school. I don't think you can overstate just how much pastoral support, boosting of confidence and yes reading goes on. I know my daughter finds it an invaluable space as do many of her friends. The reduction of the LRC is not something just to be accepted and forgotten I think? Coming at it from a professional perspective the more that students read and engage culturally outside of lessons the better able they will be to tackle exams like English. Not all students - even those at Demark Road will have wide reading material, DVDs etc readily available at home and county libraries have been hit by cuts too.

Were parents consulted specifically on the LRC reduction beforehand?

It's a shame as overall Denmark Road has been excellent.