Partnership Book Club

As part of our Friday Partnership program we established a weekly Book Club with a group of our Sixth Formers and one of our local Partnership schools.

Aims

To create a pathway for young people to discover the wider world through reading for pleasure and discussion and to develop a mutually beneficial partnership between the two schools with a particular focus on reading and sharing books.

For our Sixth Form mentors who are A' Level English students the aim was to help develop their communication, social and leadership skills and to share their love of reading. 

Background

The Head of Partnership attended a session by Book Clubs in Schools at the Schools Together conference and was inspired to initiate this in St Albans School. She approached the School Librarian who gave her full support and helped to lead the project.

Resources

The Head of Partnership coordinates the programme that is run the School Librarian.  The school employed the services of Book Clubs in Schools for the first year and have been continuing this alone in subsequent years.

Books were provided for the Partnership School and study guides for the Sixth Form mentors.

Readers received Participation Certificates and Book Club Leaders received Leadership Certificates.

Impact

A survey was done with the Book Club participants on their attitude to reading at the start of Book Club and then a survey undertaken at the end to see changes in attitude and enjoyment.

Sixth Form mentors were asked to complete feedback at the end of the course and one wrote an article for our school magazine on her experiences.

Pupil Involvement

This project involved a group of 6 Sixth Form mentors and 60 pupils from local primary schools (Years 5 and 6)

Frequency

Every Friday afternoon during term time.