Students are already benefiting from learning resource centre (From Penarth Times)

Students are already benefiting from learning resource centre

PUPILS at St Cyres School have better facilities than ever before thanks to a learning resource centre which has just opened at the Penarth site.

Although the centre has been running for more than a year, it was officially opened by radio star Roy Noble last Wednesday, January 23.

Now pupils from Year 7 to the Sixth Form can use the centre every day, from 8.15am until 4.45pm. Sixth Form students are able to use it throughout the day for formal study, while classes book it out in lesson time.

Head teacher Brian Lightman explained he had made a new library top priority when first started working at the school.

He said: "Successive years of financial difficulty and the need to prioritise immediately necessary premises repairs prevented improvement of library and resources facilities.

"This latest and successful attempt to address the problem has its origins on a day in March, 1999 when some half-a-dozen visitors to the school, of which I was one, were brought into a rather gloomy, crowded classroom which had bookshelves around the edges crammed full of books, some of which were of slight antique interest.

"We were, of course, the candidates for the headship of this school and I'm fairly certain that every one of us in the subsequent interview process made it quite clear that the provision of an adequate library would be a top priority."

The Friends of St Cyres devoted much time to raising money and the governors allocated as much as they could from limited budgets. The school's site team did a lot of work themselves to reduce costs.

The teachers had to do a vast amount of sorting to identify the books worth keeping, while various companies and friends of the school helped with goodwill, good prices and advice. The school also received a donation of £5,000 from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous, all of which was spent on books.

They were then promised a grant from the New Opportunities Fund which allowed them to take on a full-time manager, Sally Hebbes.

She said: "There are books, computers, leaflets, brochures and access to the internet. We also have a non-profit making stationery shop which offers good prices for pupils, and binding and photocopying facilities.

"We totally gutted the old library and it took about three months to get it looking good. It's very well used. It's definitely money well spent."

Roy Noble said: "May I commend this facility and the way it's going to work. Children need this." Eager pupils working at the centre at the opening were extremely positive.

Caroline Stewart, 15, of Year 10, said: "It's good, especially when it's cold outside. We can get our homework done so we don't have to do it at home.

"Another good thing is that we can chat. It's not like a library."

Rhian Wilson, 15, also of Year 10, agreed: "It's definitely been a help. It saves you doing your homework at home."

And 15-year-old Year 10 pupil Sarah Palmer added: "Some people haven't got computers at home so they can use the computers here."

But Mr Lightman says there is still a long way to go. According to national benchmarks, a school of St Cyres' size should have 19,000 library books. St Cyres has just 3,000.

He said: "All pupils need access to the widest and most stimulating range of written materials so that they can develop not only the ability to read and understand but also a love of reading which will remain with them."

For this reason, Mr Lightman announced the school is introducing a sponsor a book scheme, inviting contributions of multiples of five to purchase books for the centre, or for the library at the Dinas Powys site.

He added: "As far as the future is concerned, we are greatly heartened by the National Assembly's vision of education set out in the 'paving' document 'The Learning Country'.

"We hope that, as St Cyres develops further into a true Community Learning Centre, this facility will be open and accessible to people of all ages within and beyond the school day."