Mrs Graves (Head of English)

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that all English teachers love reading, and recommending reading to others. We really believe in the benefits and joys of reading regularly for pleasure, not just as part of the curriculum. Our colleagues in the LRC share this passion, and here at BGS, the LRC and the English department enjoy a close working relationship where we try and develop the students’ reading skills and experiences collaboratively.

Despite all of the logistical challenges involved, we have been so grateful to the LRC for working with us to find ways to allow students to continue to visit the library this term, and in particular for managing to run the hugely popular ‘Gift of Reading’ experience as we approach the Christmas holidays. Students in Year 7 who visited the LRC this week, have been challenged to choose a book without seeing that all important aspect- the cover! Instead, they have been wrapped in paper, with only a sentence or two to explain the genre or hook of the novel. Having chosen a book, they can then unwrap and get stuck in.

This initiative was really successful last year, and many of the girls who took the books away over the holidays reflected on the fact that they had unwittingly tried something a little bit new or unusual, or perhaps challenged their reading level because they hadn’t flicked through the pages and judged it ‘too hard’ before giving it a chance.

We hope that as many students as possible across the school will take some time to appreciate the many gifts that a good book can bring during the coming holidays, and join us in saying thank you to the LRC staff for working so hard to make sure that, as a community, we still have access to such an important and rewarding resource.