The Library & Independent Learning Hub
At Reed’s we know that developing good study skills allow our pupils to improve their academic performance, manage their time more efficiently, and reduce anxiety levels. These skills are also transferable to life after school, at work, and in achieving personal goals, making them significant attributes to acquire for lifelong success.
The Nissen Library has now been repurposed, under the guidance of our Head of Library, into an area that teaches pupils how to learn as well as bringing it into the 21st century by providing spaces to work both collaboratively and independently, with a host of digital resources alongside traditional printed ones.
The physical space in the library has been opened up to provide more areas for group collaboration. A reconfiguration of tables has provided an area that can be used for individual, group study, or even meetings – a long row of desk lamps with green shades, considered a tranquil and calming colour seen to aid concentration and creativity. Three comfy sofas, brightly designed blinds and an outdoor study area on the lawn outside during the summer exam season completes the look.
The silence of yesteryear has been replaced by soft background music of alpha waves and lo-fi beats to aid study, with talking allowed at appropriate times - but in sotto voce only. The Nissen Library is a space that buzzes with activity, whether it’s a group of Sixth Form mathematicians meeting to discuss their latest topics, or pupils playing chess on the inlaid chessboards.
INDEPENDENT LEARNING & STUDY SKILLS
Reed’s has developed its own unique learning habits programme which supports our Learning Model and is part of the curriculum in Forms One to Three (Years 7-9). Every pupil in these year groups have a timetabled weekly lesson to learn these skills and practice putting them into effect. After that pupils are given a range of learning approaches they can each use, signposted in a programme called Revision Hacks. There are 25 ‘hacks’ in all, each of which can be used to aid independent work and exam revision. The first 7 should be followed before work commences and the remaining ones are options for pupils to try, working out which ones provide the best outcome for them individually.
A set of Revision Hack cards that are clear, concise, and colourful but, most importantly, easy to use detail each of the 25 individual skills. These are available both in printed format as well as via an App, kindly developed by a former pupil, which all pupils have on their iPads.
An exhibition space at the back of the library reinforces these Revision Hacks using images, sound, and textures to bring each ‘skill’ to life and make them relatable for pupils. This exhibition space is modular, so it can be changed and adapted. The revision hacks Programme guides pupils through the perfect home study day.
LIBRARIANS
The Head of Library is supported by a committed team of thirty school librarians. Appointments are made by application and interview and successful candidates are responsible for their own bays, selecting and ordering books, running library events and supporting library users of all ages. Each cohort is rewarded by a school trip to a literary venue or library such as visiting the Bodleian Library at Oxford University.
RESOURCES
Britannica Online
This is a research database for pupils of all ages that can be accessed both in the library and online anywhere via their portal. Britanica offers safe online resources to complete homework and develop research skills using trustworthy, citable information. This resource is aligned to the national curriculum, is updated daily and spans a range of media, including video, images and audio content.
JStor
JSTOR provides access to more than 12 million journal articles, books, images, and primary sources in 75 disciplines. This digital library is used by pupils doing independent research projects such as the Nissen Bridgeman project in the Third Form (Year 9) and the Extended Project Qualification in the Sixth Form.
Digi mags
Digi-Mags is a digital newspaper & magazine portal which gives pupils unlimited access to 150 titles - the best magazines & newspapers - on their own mobile devices when at school.
THE REEDER CUP
The Reeder Cup is awarded to the First Form pupil who produces an outstanding reading record - for the breadth of their reading and the excellence of their written book reviews or creatives response. Each year the school commissions a handmade book by the renowned bookbinder, Lester Capon, to showcase the reviews of the current cohort.
The School participates in numerous literary initiatives, such as the Trinity Schools Book Award and runs their own project of shared reading called Literary Lads. There is also a shared reading programme whereby parents or staff are able to offer Foundation support by volunteering to be part of the programme.
OUTDOOR LIBRARY
As summer approaches, the Outdoor Library is set up in our magnificent grounds as an extension to the focus and study leave of the Nissen Library, but with the bonus of fresh air and glorious scent of the gardens. This simple, pop-up space, continues the themes of the learning habits programme: #24 Study Spaces, which encourages pupils to trial and evaluate the effectiveness of various study spaces. The Outside library is a popular choice for pupils preparing for exams, or provides respite from study for a quiet game of chess.
“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” Marcus Tullius Cicero
