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Original poster

Does your infant school have a library? Does it matter?

32 replies

katepol · 01/01/2008 21:21

Our Ofsted-rated 'Outstanding' school doesn't have a library - it doesn't have the space. Instead, there are boxes of books in each classroom for the children to borrow books from (whenever and for as long as they want).

This is all very well, but it means that no one is taking responsibility for the books, buying new ones, checking they are complete, or that there are enough of the right levels.

Would this bother you? I suppose I am just a bit surprised that the school have such a relaxed approach to this. In dds class, she has read the very few (and very old) chapter books they have, and only gets to choose picture-type books, when she loves reading proper stories. Obviously we do go to the library, but it seems a bit of a shame she doesn't have access to decent reading material at her school. From what I have heard, most other schools seem to have better facilities - is this true?

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Hulababy · 01/01/2008 21:27

The preprep has a small "library" which is infact just a couple of bookshelves of books that children can borrow books to take home. It is pretty much parent-led, with parents completing the book record of when taken out/brought back - so works on trust.

The rep library is larger, but not massive. It has a section of reference only books too which cannot be signed out.

We have loads of books at home anyway. I am devil for buying books, lol. So for us it doesn't matter as we don't use the library at present anyway.

differentYearbutthesamecack · 01/01/2008 21:28

This reply has been deleted

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oops · 01/01/2008 21:28

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cadelaide · 01/01/2008 21:29

oops, you from zummerzet?

Quattrocento · 01/01/2008 21:30

It bothered me to the extent of going private. I just couldn't get it out of my head. Couldn't live with the idea that a little shelf of books was it.

pinkbubble · 01/01/2008 21:30

We have a fantastic library with a librarian too. It has all been computerised and so the children are all registered, they have to give their thumb print. e also have library club, 2 days after school and there are times set out for pre schoolers in the afternoon once a week.

ChasingSquirrels · 01/01/2008 21:30

Ours has one, and have a library clup on Thu lunchtimes - I have mentioned it to ds (Rec) but he said it would cut into his playing time I can't comment on the books though as I have never been in it.
We have boxes of books at various levels in the classroom and ds chooses 3 books twice a week. These are his reading books.
For books that we read to him, in addition to the books we have at home we go to either the mobile library van or the library in the next village.

llareggub · 01/01/2008 21:34

A school without a library is as far from my definition of outstanding as it is possible to get. Shocking. I bet there lots of computers though.

Original poster
katepol · 01/01/2008 21:37

The school is just a primary, so no option of books from the juniors alas.
It is just that dd is such a bookworm, (she reads at least 10 chapter books a week), that having a constant supply would be so useful. As it is, I was looking at our bookshelves today - the children have 13+ft worth of books!

As for Ofsted, they LOVE the school, despite it being overcrowded, having a head-in-the-sand approach to bullying, no out of school activities becuase they can't cater for everyone due to lack of space, quotas on how many children can be in the choir etc, a rubbish, non-working ICT room and no library, space outside classrooms for small groups etc etc.

The school is very relaxed about learning, which seems to work bizarrely enough, although some children are very obviously needing more effort and not getting it

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Original poster
katepol · 01/01/2008 21:40

Oh, and children don't have to borrow books - the boxes are just there. No one checks them in or out, there is no home-school reading record at all - not even for the reading scheme. It is pretty much - there you go, books are over there kids...

I do feel that it just isn't trying hard enough sometimes, yet (most of) the children do seem to do very well (in SATS certainly).

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hippipotami · 01/01/2008 21:45

Dd's Ofsted rated Outstanding infant school has a fab little library. It uses a computerised check-out system which works by the child logging in via his/her thumbprint.
It is FAB!!
This is in addition to the reading-scheme boxes of books in each classroom.

Ds is at the adjoining Junior school and they have bookshelves in each classroom from which the children can borrow freely, as well as a proper library from which they have to get bookes checked in/out by a teacher. (no fancy biometric thumbprint system here though, old fashioned pieces of card and date stamps instead)

MrsWeasleysmagicmincepies · 01/01/2008 21:48

LOL @ cadelaide: Oops' S doesnt work so she is using Z instead

MrsWeasleysmagicmincepies · 01/01/2008 21:49

Our infants school doesnt have a Library either. There are boxes of books which children work their way through.

Quattrocento · 01/01/2008 22:53

llareggub I agree.

differentYearbutthesamecack · 01/01/2008 23:19

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
katepol · 02/01/2008 13:12

DYBTSC - nice idea. Alas, the charity shops round here have very little stock (I know as I am in there checking a lot lol!), and they are all about £1 - £1.50 a book.(clothes prices are high too).

Most of the books in the classroom are donations - they tend to have children's names written in them and are pretty old. I have never seen a book from school that has been printed this century! Many are cast-offs from the older teacher's children...

I doubt anything will change - the school has a culture of 'we know what we are doing, leave us to it', and their results are good, so it is hard to argue with them. I just wondered whether libraries and reading matter had a higher priority in other schools?

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TsarChasm · 02/01/2008 13:17

Our does. It's a lovely little library well stocked and like Hula's pretty much run by mums.

Mine also belong to the local library too.

My big problem is when the school library books and the local library books get mixed up with our own huge book collection.

Blueblob · 02/01/2008 13:33

My child goes to a small infant only school, excellent Ofsted report and it doesn't have a library. The reading scheme is one of those where the child can choose from colour coded books and can change them when they please. Apart from that we have lots of books at home and belong to the local library.

Smithagain · 02/01/2008 13:36

DD1's infant school has a library in a separate room. They visit it once a week and are free to choose whatever takes their fancy. There seems to be a good range of fiction and non-fiction. That is in addition to their reading-scheme books which are stored in class.

They also use the room for watching videos - educational ones as a class and entertainment ones if they want to during wet breaks.

We also use the public library, but very few of her friends seem to go there. I think the ability to choose an appropriate book, given free choice, is an important skill in itself. Sometimes DD1 has chosen something inappropriate, which is a learning experience for her. And sometimes she's chosen something brilliant that I would never have given a second glance in a bookshop!

brimfull · 02/01/2008 13:39

yes a library and a librarian!

think it's a good thing

MrsWeasleysmagicmincepies · 02/01/2008 14:28

Our Junior school(junior and infants are seperate school) has a library and it is run mostly by the wife of one of our governors. They are very hands on and she does ask for parents to help but in practice only a couple do help.

FluffyMummy123 · 02/01/2008 14:28

Message withdrawn

Original poster
katepol · 02/01/2008 15:32

Cod - are you on the south coast?

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FluffyMummy123 · 02/01/2008 16:52

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wheresthehamster · 02/01/2008 17:02

Speak to the Literacy co-ordinator and ask about any future plans. Lots of schools can only update their books with PTA money there is no funding to replace old books. Ask if they have considered subscribing to the Schools Library Service. At my school each class borrows 20 books for one or two terms.
Maybe you could suggest a scheme whereby at the end of the year instead of buying the teacher a present parents could club together and buy those great packs of 10 books for £10 from the Book People for their class.