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Map reveals holes in library support service


by Daniel White


More than half a million students could be losing out on crucial sup- port because many areas of the country have no Schools Library Service (SLS). The local authority services


advise schools and provide train- ing on managing and develop- ing their school libraries, teaching resources and on things like ICT and digital fluency. They also lend or make avail-


able for purchase carefully chosen resources to support teaching and learning. However, a new tool created


by the School Library Association (SLA) has highlighted worry-


ing gaps in provision across the country. The interactive map, pictured


right, allows schools to see where their nearest SLS can be found but in doing so also highlights those areas with a dearth of provision. For example, in Northern


Ireland there are only five SLS and in Cumbria, the second largest county in England, there is only one, based in Carlisle. The SLA has said an estimated


600,000 children around the coun- try do not have access to the work of such services and that this could have a detrimental effect on stand- ards of education. Tricia Adams, director of the


SLA, told SecEd: “School libraries, particularly in smaller schools, have


Councils team up for new infrastructure


Two Scottish local authorities have collaborated to build new secondary schools in a landmark scheme that could pave the way for more joint projects across the country. East Renfrewshire, near


Glasgow, and Midlothian, just south of Edinburgh, jointly pro- cured the schools via the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT), the infra- structure investment company set up by the government in 2008. Headteachers, teachers and


local communities from both authorities all had a say in the project, which the SFT says will save about £3.5 million, with a total bill of £65 million. Work has started on Lasswade


High in Midlothian – which will be part of a community hub including a library and sports facilities – and Eastwood High in East Renfrewshire, which will include pre-school and primary centres. Both are due to open in August 2013. The schools shared the same


architects and cost management firm and will have many features in common, although the overall look and layout will be quite different. Donald MacKay, director of


St Jude’s Church, Dulwich Road Herne Hill, London SE24 0PB www.markallengroup.com


education at Midlothian, said the collaboration had been a positive experience. “Working alongside another


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council you tend to get the benefit of good practice of both councils rather than just drawing on your own. A lot of joint planning went into things like individual class- room spaces, layout, ventilation, lighting and heating. “Before we got down to the


design stage we visited a number of schools together, including in Bristol, Solihull and Queen Margaret University in East Lothian, and we got a good idea of what we both liked and dis- liked. So I don’t think there was a huge difference of opinion on what we thought was important.” About 50 miles separate the authorities, but partners said


geography was no barrier. In fact, Angus, in the north of Scotland, was originally involved too but dropped out because its plans were not as advanced. Derek Milligan, leader of


Midlothian Council, said costs were saved by sharing profes- sional and legal fees, information and knowledge, and by econo- mies of scale. He explained: “We will pro-


vide approximately one third of the cost of the school replace- ment, with the SFT funding the other two thirds, but the council is committing additional funding so that we can create a true com- munity facility for local people. “The partnership allows both


councils to achieve best value in the delivery of the two schools. The total cost of the campus is £37.1 million.” The Lasswade campus will


include a library, leisure centre, ICT suite, community kitchen, conference suite, squash court, sports hall, dance studio, six-lane swimming pool, and artificial football pitch. Diane Leask, education qual-


ity and improvement officer for East Renfrewshire, said the joint project had resulted in “more than the sum of its parts” and was a valuable model. “It is certainly something we


could recommend. The only thing you have to take into account is that you are two different groups with different structures and that sometimes creates procedural slowness. But all in all it’s been very successful. Between us we’ve got two state-of-the-art schools for the 21st century.” Gemma Gordon, associate


director of the SFT, added: “This is the very first collaborative part- nership in Scotland to deliver schools. “The SFT is encouraging all


local authorities to consider the wide range of benefits that can be achieved by working closely together.”


often relied on Schools Library Service resources to add a chang- ing collection of books to their own resources, as well as using the sup- port and training they offer for the development of their library staff. “Without this being available


locally there are cost and time impli- cations for staff undertaking train- ing and also less resources available to the students. Wide reading and access to books is shown, through research, to be a motivator and support in higher achievement for students.” In the UK, schools choose indi-


vidually how much they are going to invest into the school library and have to pay an annual fee of around £80 a year to register the facility. Ms Adams added: “Schools


Library Services can provide much needed support in the way of train- ing and resources to schools. “Their gradual decline is a wor-


rying trend when considering sup- port for students. By producing this interactive map we are hoping to help schools find the practical help and support they need.” Gillian Harris, chair of the


Association of Senior Children’s and Education Librarians, which has helped to produce the resource, added: “Where schools do not have a Schools Library Service in their area they should look to neighbouring authorities for support as all schools library services can offer services outside their immediate area.” To view the interactive map, visit http://www.sla.org.uk/sls-map.php


Minister backs action to improve the quality of life for Travellers


Children from the Irish Travelling community have the right to a quality educational experience free from prejudice or discrimination, Northern Ireland’s education min- ister has said. John O’Dowd is endorsing a


taskforce report that highlights the needs of Traveller children. The aim is to make recommen-


dations for action to improve the quality of life for Travellers. The report shows that Traveller


children in the North’s secondary schools are missing far more school and are achieving significantly fewer qualifications than their set- tled peers. At post-primary level, Traveller


children are missing an average of 46.7 per cent of half days compared with an overall average of 7.7 per cent. A significant number who enroll


in primary school are not continu- ing into post-primary education or are leaving school before year 12. In addition, just 10 Traveller


children left secondary school with five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C in a five year period between 2004 and 2010. Almost two thirds failed to


achieve a single GCSE in that time compared to three per cent overall. The Taskforce says the North’s


Department of Education, education boards, Traveller support groups and Traveller parents all have a role to play in providing children with the best possible education. This will involve promoting


and presenting a positive attitude towards education and building trust between schools and fami- lies to improve Travellers’ sense of belonging. Steps will also be taken to


encourage Traveller children to value educational achievements and make sure they attend school regularly. There has been a steady increase


over the past 10 years in the number of Traveller children continuing into secondary education. “It is very encouraging to see a


63 per cent increase in the number of Traveller young people enrolled in post-primary schools,” Mr O’Dowd said. “However, despite this progress,


profound challenges remain. The underachievement of Traveller chil- dren is stark, it is unacceptable and it must change. “It is vital that Traveller chil-


dren get the opportunity to make the most of their years at school to give them the best possible start in life and the best possible chance of employment. They have the right to this opportunity.”


Nicola, 17, sees first novel published


Writing a novel takes inspiration, commitment and a lot of hard graft. But the effort has paid off for


a year 13 student at Highsted Grammar School in Sittingbourne, Kent, who has seen her novel pub- lished as a Kindle e-book. Nicola Apps, 17, decided to


write Poppy Girl to highlight the issue of bullying. Aimed at teen- agers, the book is a supernatural drama about Amanda Ace, a girl who is bullied at school and feels unwanted at home. In a parallel storyline, Amanda’s


feelings of anger and revenge attract the attention of dangerous super- natural creatures known as Poppy Witches, who feed off her negative energy and put her life at risk. “Bullying is an important issue


to write about and what people often don’t understand is that it doesn’t only happen in the primary school playground,” said Nicola, who is studying for A levels in English, history, sociology, psy- chology and general studies and has applied to study history and ancient history at university. “I wanted to spread the message that revenge doesn’t fix anything.” The first draft of the novel took


three months and Nicola wrote four more drafts before publication. “My advice to anyone who wants to write a book is ‘never give


2 Debut: Nicola Apps, 17, has seen her first novel published


up’,” said Nicola, who would like to be a full-time author one day. Her own favourite authors are Philip Pullman and JK Rowling. “Determination and patience


are really important too. I planned every chapter of Poppy Girl in advance – which meant I never got writer’s block.” Nicola’s friends and teachers


have been hugely supportive of the project. Her English teacher, Hilary Truscott, offered help and


advice while her friends have all downloaded copies of the 80,000- word e-book. Not only that, several local secondary schools have asked Nicola to run author-in-residence writing sessions for them next term. “We are very proud of Nicola


and her achievements,” said deputy headteacher Anne Kelly. “She is a very able, determined and focused girl.” Poppy Girl is available to down- load at Kindle for £2.51.


SecEd • January 5 2012


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