In just under three months, The Victory Academy’s new librarian transformed their awkward, unloved library into an inclusive and vibrant space where children now feel welcome and safe. We speak to their Head of English, Layla Steeples, and librarian Jo Gallant about their vision.
Layla Steeples: When I was employed by The Victory Academy in September 2021 as the new Head of English, I was hugely excited to see that there was a library space at the school, especially as these spaces have slowly begun to be removed in schools. However, the library was a space that was simply used for Accelerated Reader lessons, intervention sessions, and homework club.
The layout was also quite odd, meaning that the teacher and librarian had little opportunity to keep a watchful eye on students while also allowing students to have the freedom to fully explore the learning space. Staff in the department had told me that they didn’t like how the books were organised, and that they wanted to recommend books to students but found it difficult to find and select suggestions because of the way the book stacks were organised for Accelerated Reader.
When the previous librarian retired, an opportunity arose to revamp the library and reconsider the role of the librarian. Jo Gallant started in January and has settled in well with staff and students alike and has a clear vision of how she wants the library to look and run. It is exciting to see Jo’s enthusiasm in making the library a better working and learning space, including the biggest renovation the library has possibly seen in a while!
Over February half-term, Jo and the premises team moved all the furniture and reorganised the books – it looks so much bigger and more welcoming, which is ultimately what we want for the students at The Victory Academy.
Jo Gallant: The library here at The Victory Academy is such a lovely space; there are hundreds of books for students to choose from. It’s a safe space for many of our students and gets very busy at break and lunch times. It is also used for reading intervention groups, homework groups etc and students regularly have English lessons based here that focus on reading.
I was very excited to get my teeth into reorganising the library to make it as welcoming and accessible to students as possible. The books are now organised by genre rather than Accelerated Reader levels and, already, it is far easier to help students find the perfect book! Now the renovation is done, I have big plans for the library. These include creating imaginative, engaging displays - the students who attend art club at lunch have already created an amazing piece of art that is now up on the wall. I am also in the process of setting up various projects and activities.
I really want the library to support the school in encouraging the development of reading & literacy across the curriculum; I am aiming to implement fun, engaging activities based on different subject areas. These will include treasure hunts, library bingo and murder mysteries as well as various written activities that students can complete to earn rewards – something I’m developing with the other English teachers to encourage reading.
I also plan for the library to take an active part in events such as ‘International Women’s Day’ and ‘Black History Month’ to ensure the library is promoting equality and diversity. The school celebrated ‘LGBTQ+ History Month’ this January and as part of this the library promoted our LGBTQ+ books. We are lucky enough to already have a diverse range of books, however, it would be nice to develop a reading section for our growing number of EAL students.
The ultimate goal is for the library to be an inclusive, welcoming place that students can feel proud of, to encourage more students to use the library in a productive, creative and pro-active way and, of course, to develop a love of reading across the school.
