North East primary schools without dedicated library space
This week primary students across the region have been celebrating children’s literature amid reports that the North East has the highest number of primary schools without libraries in England.
The Northern Children’s Book Festival (NCBF) began its two week regional programme on Monday with authors, illustrators, poets and other storytellers visiting North East schools throughout the week to inspire students.
Lack of school libraries in the region
At the same time, the Primary School Library Alliance (PSLA) released a report this week titled Working Together Towards a Library In Every Primary School, founded by the National Literacy Trust, and supported by Penguin Random House UK.
There is currently no statutory requirement for schools to have a dedicated library area. The report found that 1 in 7 state primary schools do not have a dedicated library space, impacting educational outcomes and the wellbeing of over 750,000 children in the UK.
They also cited a study in 2021 which found that 1 in 11 children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds say they don’t have a book of their own at home, making the lack of school libraries even more concerning. Schools with an above average intake of children eligible for free school meals were over 50% more likely to report that they did not have a school library.
While the South East had the lowest number of schools without libraries at 6%, the study found that the North East had the highest percentage of schools without a designated library area in England at 18%. The report linked this statistic to the North East as being a region with one of the lowest levels of children achieving expected levels in reading at Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2 and beyond. The report and campaign aim to boost literacy levels in the UK.
Importance of Libraries
Despite these statistics, local community projects, festivals and libraries are always looking to engage with students in the North East. The National Centre for Children’s Books, Seven Stories, is based in Newcastle. The charity provides both a museum and a visitor centre dedicated to children’s literature and is free to enter. Seven Stories works closely with teachers and school leaders to provide a space in our region for students to celebrate literature.
CEO of Seven Stories, Wendy Elliott commented:
“Libraries are an integral hub for the children in our communities. They provide a safe place for young children to not only explore a wide range of stories, poems and illustrations but to have the autonomy to select, look after and – most importantly – enjoy books in a supportive environment. This will hopefully inspire a lifelong passion for creative outlets, something that is very close to our hearts here at Seven Stories.”
Northern Children’s Book Festival inspiring the region
The NCBF has a unique regional approach, utilising the North East’s library networks to cover communities including those that are most deprived. NCBF was established in 1983, making this the 39th year of the festival. This year sees the first in-person festival since the pandemic.
The 2022 programme includes illustrators and authors such as Korky Paul (Winnie and Wilbur), Will Mabbitt (I Can Only Draw Worms), Kristina Stephenson (Sir Charlie Stinky Socks) and Ian Brown (Albert the Tortoise) visiting schools across the region. NCBF worked alongside North Tyneside Library Services to deliver workshops within schools.
Coquet Park First School, in Whitley Bay, received a visit on Tuesday from Kristina Stephenson and ‘The Museum of Marvellous Things Suitcase Show’. Kristina enjoyed a special morning with KS1 at the school, dressing up, singing and performing magic tricks before staying to sign books for students.
Gabriella Armstrong, Literacy Lead and Deputy Head Teacher at Coquet commented:
“At Coquet Park First School, we recognise the importance of instilling a love of all things reading and literacy from the beginning of their time with us. In line with the findings of the OECD in 2002, we recognise that “Reading for Pleasure is the single most important indicator of a child’s future success”.
We feel so privileged to have the fantastic North Tyneside Library Services on our doorstep, and embellish all of the opportunities that they offer us. Most recently, Krisitna Stephenson, a well-known children’s author, visited Coquet Park First School and delivered a workshop with children from Nursery all the way up to Year 2.
Our children thoroughly enjoyed learning about how her life as an author began, where she developed her ideas for writing books and engaged in activities linked to her most recent publication ‘The Museum of Marvellous Things’. Pupils sang songs, dressed up as the characters, danced and brought the book to life! All children left inspired, and recognised that all they needed was their imagination to be standing in her shoes one day. We can’t thank North Tyneside Library Services and Kristina Stephenson for visiting us here at Coquet.”
Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East said:
“It is clear that while the report findings show the North East has the highest number of primary schools without a library space in England, this is not due to lack of need. While the report highlights a negative about the region’s schools we must acknowledge the regional context that limits our schools resources.
Schools North East’s latest State of the Region Survey found that since the beginning of this academic year, schools have faced significant challenges around finances, due to increasing energy costs and unfunded staff pay rises. This has meant that schools are focussed on managing budgets, rather than longer term school investment. We hope to see policy that takes this into consideration, with a long term view that provides greater support and funding for North East provision to help tackle the disadvantage gap and ensure all schools have a dedicated library space.”
The Northern Children’s Book Festival is ongoing next week, more information can be found here: https://northernchildrensbookfestival.org.uk/ncbf-2022-programme/
To read the ‘Working Together Towards a Library In Every Primary School’ report click here: https://cdn.literacytrust.org.uk/media/documents/PSLA_report_2022__V12_SCREEN.pdf
Our State of the Region Survey Results can be read here: https://mcusercontent.com/12a4bd639231413c724e87521/files/bd3782a0-7691-a117-5ee4-6dbf352ac32a/Stakeholder_briefing_State_of_the_Region_Autumn_2022.pdf
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