Hewett Academy opens new library with £14,000 worth of books
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We're excited to share that our new library has been opened by LBC radio presenter and author Iain Dale. The library is now housing an incredible £14,000 of diverse and inclusive books.
The library has been transformed from an old block into a welcoming and cosy environment, laid out to encourage reading in smaller groups. Hewett Academy’s Principal, Antony Little, committed to providing the students with a new library when he joined the school in September.
Iain Dale, LBC Radio Presenter, said: "There is nothing like having a good book at your disposal to really get your teeth into, it takes you into a different world! Books can be so inspiring and I really hope that the students of Hewett get a lot out of the library that the school has worked so hard to provide them with."
Antony Little, Principal of Hewett Academy, said: "The vision was to create a proper academically resourced library at the heart of the school. Reading is really important for students - especially when they get into secondary school. I hope this will be an inspiring place that will help create a lifelong love of reading.
“I’m really proud of Hewett Academy’s cultural diversity and we wanted our literature to reflect that. We strive to be inclusive and encourage acceptance and learning about others experiences.
“This project would not have been possible without the hard work of the Friends of Hewett Group and the generosity of our Trust and local foundations.”
Eve Mathews, the school’s new librarian, acts as an advocate for reading across the school and has been working passionately to ensure that the library is not only resourceful, but one that also speaks to the students of today.
Eve Mathews, Librarian at Hewett Academy, said: “Of course, classic literature is important, but my belief is that you can’t get students into the library or encourage them to become regular readers if you don’t provide them with books that reflect themselves, and their own lives and experiences. We don’t want anyone to feel excluded from the library.”
The Hewett Academy and its multi-academy trust - Inspiration Trust - funded the new library and the refurbished building housing a brand new classroom space to use for the growing curriculum, three new music practice rooms and a fitness suite, with access to a suite of Chromebooks for coursework.
The school and its Friends of Hewett group have raised an impressive £7,000 to fill the library with diverse literature, as a part of their Library for Today project. This was matched by a £7,000 investment in books from the school.
Rebecca Atkinson, Chair of Friends of Hewett, said: “Friends of Hewett are really pleased to support the new library by raising £7,000 to purchase books which better reflect the school’s diverse cohort today. Representation in books and authors really matters so we are delighted that Hewett pupils will be able to see such a wide range of authors and stories in their library.”
