Allerton Grange School
We spoke to the school librarian of Allerton Grange, a large state secondary school in Leeds, about their experience with Reading Cloud and how it supports the school’s focus on literacy.
The school librarian, James Ellis, is very clear the introduction of Reading Cloud has been a great way to support the school’s comprehensive reading strategy.
Read on to find out more about how Reading Cloud is helping to transform this secondary state school in Leeds.
Building a comprehensive reading strategy with Reading Cloud
About the school
Allerton Grange is a large secondary school and sixth form in Leeds with over 1,600 students. James, who is the new school librarian, met with us to explain how the library works and their use of Reading Cloud. James says, “The library is at the heart of the school, both figuratively and literally. It’s by the entrance and opposite the canteen so while there is a heavy footfall, this can be a double-edged sword when it gets noisy at lunchtimes.” For Allerton Grange, literacy plays a pivotal role in the school’s unique ‘KLAS’ curriculum – focused on Knowledge, Literacy, Aspiration, and Social mobility. With literacy being one of the key pillars, James says his “mandate as a librarian is to promote reading for pleasure alongside the KLAS curriculum.”
Simplifying student’s access to Reading Cloud
Single sign-on most recently has helped to simplify students’ access to the library catalogue and the customisable homepage showcasing trending books, news, and updates engages students. James says, “The homepage allows me to share star reviews, the latest returns, as well as helping to promote new arrivals. For me, it helps to get a view of what’s trending and the most popular authors and genres. A student library helper last year even did a school poster on the most read books using the reporting tools in Reading Cloud.”
Supporting SEND and EAL learners
The school faces several unique challenges in promoting reading. Its diverse student population includes growing numbers of students with SEND and many who have English as an Additional Language (EAL), creating barriers to reading. These factors, combined with a decline in library usage as students move into their GCSEs, can often create a complex environment for encouraging reading.
To tackle these issues, the school has implemented a comprehensive reading strategy to support every learner with their reading attainment and nurture a culture of reading for pleasure. A dedicated ‘Drop Everything and Read’ (DEAR) session provides structured reading time each day and Years 7-8 participate in weekly library lessons, which encourages students to come into the library regularly and browse the catalogue using Reading Cloud.
Creating discussions about reading
Students are also dabbling with features like Reading Cloud’s blogs and reviews, which help to make reading more engaging and interactive. James says: “At the start of term, we set Year 7s and 8s homework to review a book on Reading Cloud, which was a great way to introduce them to the system and encourage discussion about what they were reading.”
Impressions of Reading Cloud
Reading Cloud goes beyond basic library management. James says, “As for its function as a library management system, it ticks all the boxes for me. If I had to recommend Reading Cloud to another school, I would mention features like reviews, reading lists, the news on the homepage, and the fact that my student library helpers can help with circulating books to other students. For me, it’s got all the basics for managing the library catalogue, and then in addition, it’s got all the brilliant student features.”
While Allerton Grange is just at the beginning of its journey with Reading Cloud, James has been building reading lists to share with students and is looking at ways to share the benefits of reading further with his students.
Ready to transform your school library?
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to elevate your students’ library experience. If you’re not yet part of the Reading Cloud family, now is the perfect time to find out more about what we can offer your school. Book a no obligation demo with one of our expert Sales team today and discover how Reading Cloud can transform your school library.
