Learning Resource Centre (LRC)

The LRC is a real hub of the school; it is a busy and lively place outside lesson time and a quiet study area during lessons. All students are welcome to use the LRC before and after school and during break and lunchtimes. The LRC is well stocked and well organised and although students are encouraged to be independent learners there is always someone on hand to help.

VLeBooks

Students can also borrow books online, just like they can in the school LRC.  Access is via student Office 365 login, as well as through TEAMS eLRC.

VLeBooks

Leventhorpe eLRC Book List

Opening Times

The LRC is open from 8.30 am – 4.00 pm  Mondays to Thursdays and 8.30 am - 3.30 pm every Friday

Homework Club runs in the LRC from 3.15 pm - 4.00 pm Mondays to Thursdays

Sixth Formers are welcome to use the mezzanine and computer suite for private study during free periods and break times, with all years having access to the computer suite during break and lunchtimes and before and after school. 

Staff

Miss Truman is our Learning Resources Manager and is responsible for the overall management of the learning resources in the LRC.  Sixth-form assistants also help during breaks and lunchtimes with issuing books and helping lower school students make appropriate and informed book choices.  They also assist in keeping the LRC organised and tidy.

Stock

The LRC has over 18,000 books, including non-fiction books, magazines, periodicals and online resources to support the curriculum and general interests. The fiction stock is outstanding, catering for all ages and abilities. Forms can request a reading box so that students can read during form time. Book suggestions are welcomed and the stock is constantly reviewed to keep it lively and up to date.

Books and websites are entered onto our Oliver database, which is available in the LRC and on every student’s desktop. They may search, look at their account, reserve and renew their books.

Useful Web Links

These websites contain information and review fiction books to help you choose.  Go to the VLE Moodle for links to Newspaper databases, Issues Online for Social Studies, and Emagazine for English studies. You can also watch interviews with your favourite authors at Puffin Virtually Live:

Cool Reads

Puffin Virtually Live

Borrowing Books

Every student and member of staff is automatically a member of the LRC and can borrow books for four weeks at a time. We have a fingerprint recognition system which makes this quick and easy. Clubs, Events and Competitions.

There are a number of book clubs, including a Senior Book Club run by Sixth Form students. We also shadow book awards such as the Carnegie Medal with Years 8 and 9 and the Greenaway children’s picture book award with Year 7. We run quizzes and competitions where students can earn house points and win prizes. Reading Buddies, where Sixth Formers are paired with younger students to practice their reading, is held three times a week and is very popular.

Authors, illustrators and poets visit the school and special days such as World Book Day and World Book Night are celebrated. In fact, our main aim is to promote a love of reading and the students and staff are very proud of their LRC.

Supporting Your Child's Reading

Every student in Years 7 to 9 will have a library lesson every two weeks and they are expected to do at least 30 minutes' reading per week as part of whole-school literacy. However, there is plenty you can do to support your child’s love of reading:

• Read yourself! Set a good example by reading for fun and talking about the reading you do at work and at home: books, newspapers, magazines, letters and emails, lists, recipes, instructions and leaflets.
• Don’t stop reading to your child. Some children enjoy being read to long after they are fluent readers themselves.
• Visit the library. Take the family to join the local library- it’s free! Make a weekly visit.
• Make time to read. Turn the TV off! Set aside a time for reading for the family - after school or before bedtime.
• Talk about books. Talk about the books you like to read. Ask your child to tell you about the books they are reading: the type of book, the characters and the plot. Encourage them to have an opinion - was it a good book? Why? What would you have done if…?
• Let your child read with younger children. Encourage them to read to younger members of the family: brothers, sisters, cousins. They could even create a picture book of their own to read.
• Listen to talking books. These are great on a car journey and are a good introduction to new authors and to series.
• Look up the author’s websites. There are promotional activities including quizzes, film clips and links.
• Spot words inside words. Help them to spot words they know within larger words.
  Do not make them try too hard! It doesn’t matter if you have to tell them the word sometimes.
• Let them read their favourites. Don’t worry if they want to read the same books over and over, or stick to one kind of book. If they need inspiration ask the School librarian or their English teacher to recommend something they might like.

Who Can Help?

Let your child choose. Don’t worry if they sometimes want to read books you think they have outgrown. Children are far more likely to read a book if they have picked it up themselves.

• Make it FUN! 
• Buy book tokens as presents. 
• Buy comics and magazines as treats. 
• Have a laugh at reading joke books.
• Read books linked to TV 
• Read information books to develop their interests

What to Pick?

Encourage your child to read all kinds of material: stories, information books, comics, newspapers, computer games, jokes, pop up books, puzzles and the Internet. Don’t feel they are not reading just because they don’t like books.

Please see below a suggested booklist for each year group for some inspiration!

Year 7 BooklistYear 8 BooklistKey Stage 4 BooklistKey Stage 4 to 5 BooklistSixth Form Booklist