HAYESDOWN First School opened its brand-new library and welcomed the deputy mayor of Frome and town councillor Philip Campagna to cut the ribbon on the new facility last month.
This ambitious project, that was officially opened on Tuesday 19th July, began in September 2021 when an unused outdoor courtyard was converted to an indoor space and has been transformed into a library for all the children to use.
Cllr Campagna commented, “It goes to show the commitment the school has to enabling every child to be a confident reader who loves books, as they have invested £75,000 in creating this fantastic space. You really can see that Hayesdown First School puts reading at the heart of its curriculum.”
Over the year the space has been transformed into a welcoming haven for anyone who wants to read a book. There are a variety of reading spaces that are enticing for children, with toadstool seats, a large comfy couch, a story telling chair, laptops for research and books galore which will grab the interest of any reader.
Skydiving for funds
Headteacher, Mrs. Julia Battersby, said she was determined that the children would get the best library the school could provide – and she even leapt out of a plane to help raise some of the money!
She said, “I knew I had to go above and beyond for the pupils at Hayesdown – and what better way than by doing a sponsored skydive. We know reading unlocks the door to learning and gives children the skills to be successful – so this really matters. I am absolutely delighted with the result.”
The children also had a sponsored reading event which contributed thousands of pounds worth of books to the new library, and the parent teacher association provided funds to pay for furniture and the reading tree house. Pupils were fully engaged in the process, with the library squad choosing the new books and children designing the new library logo. The school also has its very own reading dog – Beatrice!
Ms Dowdle, English lead at Hayesdown, created a vision for the library and with help from teaching assistant Mrs Bahadoor and the whole team, they have brought their vision to life.
She said, “We now have a truly remarkable and unique library space for children to use and enjoy. I believe that we have achieved our ambitious aim of putting reading at the heart of Hayesdown with our library and that every child will now have access to books and stories that will help their learning soar to new heights!”