Tower Hamlets Schools Library Services

Author: slsadmin

  • SLS-UK School Library Award

    SLS-UK School Library Award

    Schools in Tower Hamlets, Hackney and other authorities the opportunity to accredit their library service via our award scheme.

    Current Gold Library Award Holders
    • Globe Primary School (Gold Award), Tower Hamlets.
    • Central Foundation Girls Secondary (Gold Award), Tower Hamlets.

     

    Current Award Holders
    • Lawdale Primary School, Tower Hamlets.
    • Chisenhale Primary School, Tower Hamlets.

     What is the award?

     Launched in 2012, the SLS School Library Award was initiated by Warwickshire Schools Library Service and are now available to all schools through SLS-UK. It enables any primary or secondary school to work towards achieving a Library award or the Gold version for high-achieving services.

     The award is a self-assessment process conducted by the designated member of staff in charge of the library and endorsed by the Head Teacher.  It is an audit of 20 key activities with supporting documentation where necessary.

     Schools record across three levels how their library service is operating in a range of activities and services:

     Developing      Establishing     Enhancing

     An award is given to a school where the library is achieving 10 or more separate activities / services in the ‘establishing’ and/or ‘enhancing’ category. A Gold award is given for 15 or more services in the ‘enhancing’ category only.

    How do schools apply?

    Order your pack when you subscribe to Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service using SLA online, or, for schools outside Tower Hamlets, email schoolslibraryservices@towerhamlets.gov.uk for an application pack, marking your subject line Tower Hamlets SLS School Library Award

    Please ensure your full name, job title and school name are in the body of the email.

     The award is open to all schools.  If you are from an area where there is a nearer schools library service, we may pass your request on to them.

    • Schools subscribing to Tower Hamlets Schools Library Services:  £50
    • Schools not subscribing to our service,  but have membership of the School Library Association: £60
    • All other schools:  £70.

    We will send you the pack together with an invoice for the fee, unless you pay via SLA online.

    Using the audit sheet in the pack, the designated library or literacy specialist will need to complete the assessment form and return it to us signed by him/herself as well as the head teacher.

    Staff from the Schools Library Service will assess the submission and make an award to the school via a certificate as appropriate. Their decision is final, but a school will usually be welcome to re-submit following a minimum six-month gap

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  • Sam Gayton wins Tower Hamlets Book Award 2013

    Sam Gayton wins Tower Hamlets Book Award 2013

    Snow MerchantToday, Sam Gayton’s debut novel, The Snow Merchant, was voted the best book of the year at the 2013 Book Award Finale. Sam was present to accept the award at Swanlea Secondary School.

    Joining the fun were authors Sarwat Chadda (the Ash Mistry series) and Katherine Roberts (Author of the Pendragon series), and pupils from 21 Tower Hamlets Schools.

    St Paul’s Primary School won the prize for the best presentation of the afternoon, with their dramatisation of a scene from Wonder by R. J Palacio.

    The winners for the postcard competition, whose artwork will be seen around the Borough’s schools next year were:

    • Ayesh Ahmed Ali from St Paul’s Primary School
    • Humayra Akhter from Lansbury Lawrence Primary School
    • Rukshana Begum from Central Foundation Girls School
    • Shakil Mahtey from William Davis Primary School
    • Ashra Anjum from John Scurr Primary School

    The Schools Library Service would like to thank Swanlea Secondary school for hosting the finale for the second year, especially Manjot Bami for allowing her library to be overrun for the day!

    We would also like to thank the pupils and staff from all of the participating schools for all their work making the award such a success.

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  • The 2013 Tower Hamlets Book Award Shortlist

    The 2013 Tower Hamlets Book Award Shortlist

    Shortlist13
    Tower Hamlets Book Award Shortlist 2013
    • Ash Mistry and the Savage Fortress by Sarawt Chadda
    • The Unforgotten Coat by Frank Cottrell Boyce
    • The Terrible Thing that Happened to Barnaby Brocket by John Boyne
    • The Snow Merchant by Sam Gayton
    • Wonder by RJ Palacio
    • Goblins by Philip Reeve
    • The Sword of Light by Katherine Roberts
  • Wonder : Creative Writing Competition 2013

    Wonder : Creative Writing Competition 2013

    Contact us about the competition
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    WonderBanner

    Winners from a record number of primary and secondary schools in Tower Hamlets gathered in the hospitality suite of the Clifford Chance offices in Canary Wharf to collect their prizes for the 2013 Tower Hamlets Creative Writing Competition.

    The competition, an annual event run by the Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service, is for poetry and short stories and is open to pupils aged 9 to 16.

    First-place prizes, winning £50, were awarded to Niamh Bush from Guardian Angels Primary School, Priya Begum from John Scurr Primary School, Tahira Chowdhury from Central Foundation Girls’ School, Caitlin Finnerty from Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School, Jaydeen Lee Kusi from Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School and Tania Begum from Oaklands Secondary School, and were awarded by Josh Lacey, author of Island of Thieves and the Dragonsitter series, who judged the work this year.

    Prizes were also collected by children from Bow School of Maths and Computing, Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing, Morpeth Secondary School, and primary schools Globe , Hague , Our Lady, Cayley, Lansbury Lawrence , Bangabandhu, Thomas Buxton, Osmani , St Paul with St Luke’s, Chisenhale and Canon Barnett.

    Key Stage Two Short Story Winners
    1st Priya Begum John Scurr Primary School
    2nd Syeda Inayah Zisha Hague Primary School
    3rd Martina Irurita Guardian Angels Primary School
    Commended Tullia Galizia Globe Primary School
    Commended Sonny Bissessar St Paul with St Luke Primary School
    Commended Emmanuel Lwanga Our Lady Primary
    Commended Allegra Freeman Chisenhale Primary School
    Commended Rahema Begum Bangahandhu Primary School
    Commended Aakifah Ahmed Chisenhale Primary School
    Commended Nusaybah Al-Mamun Thomas Buxton Primary School
    Commended Yamin Chowdhury Osmani Primary School
    Key Stage Two Poetry Winners
    1st Niamh Bush Guardian Angels Primary School
    2nd Inaya Zaman Hague Primary School
    3rd Massammath Khadija Begum John Scurr Primary School
    Commended Ellie Lowe St Paul with St Luke Primary School
    Commended Saymon Mebrahtu St Paul with St Luke
    Commended Shania Mahmood Our Lady Primary School
    Commended Shuchi Quddus Cayley Primary School
    Commended Thomas Dowden Guardian Angels Primary School
    Commended Naifah Choudhury Canon Barnett Primary
    Commended Alisha Ali Lansbury Lawrence Primary School
    Key Stage Three Short Story Winners
    1st Caitlin Finnerty Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    2nd Vicky Tham Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    3rd Michael Duke Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended Sofia Heustice Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended Kobe Mendoza Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended Shaun Odili Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended Adiba Borsha Oaklands Secondary School
    Commended Soliman Rabie Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing
    Key Stage Three Poetry Winners
    1st Tahira Chowdhury Central Foundation Girls’ School
    2nd Karimah Nuha Firdaws Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School
    3rd Naznina Begum Oaklands Secondary School
    Commended Jadie Phillips Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School
    Commended Samiya Rahman Central Foundation Girls’ School
    Key Stage Four Short Story Winners
    1st Tania Begum Oaklands Secondary School
    2nd Daniel Fisher Bow School of Maths and Computing
    3rd Maryam Chowdhury Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School
    Commended Albert Wright Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended Akashi Alam Morpeth Secondary School
    Commended Tasrin Chowdhury Oaklands Secondary School
    Key Stage Four Poetry Winners
    1st Jaydeen Lee Kusi Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School
    2nd Meaghan Coughlan Leon Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate Girls School
    3rd Beauty Ohlamini Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate Girls School
    Commended Hamza Uddin Bow School of Maths and Computing
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  • About the Secondary School Poetry Slam

    About the Secondary School Poetry Slam

    Slam is the competitive art of performance poetry, rapping or emceeing (with or without beatbox, but with no backing track), where artists slam it out over a hot microphone in front of a loud and lively audience – and a panel of judges made up of professionals in the field.

    “Before Slam I was getting excluded from school and was the BIGGEST underachiever in my year group. I was in all sorts of different types of trouble but you lot gave me a chance to excel and rise about that, and for that I thank you…… Since slam I have been doing all sorts of crazy things and have gone so far beyond my expectations and imagination.”

    Hussain Manawer, ex-SLAMbassadors UK participant, now Poetry Mentor

    Schools will receive

    The Tower Hamlets Poetry Slam consists of a 2 full-day workshops in your school led by a well-known poet or spoken word artist. The first day will feature a performance from the poet, look at poetic techniques, writing stimulus, beatbox, and writing a poem or rap piece around a common theme. The second day focuses on performance skills and rehearsals.

    The Slam finale is a half-day of performance on stage at a theatre with all participating school groups in attendance. Schools can each bring up to 30 students along to cheer on the performers!

    Why take part?

    The Slam is about more than exploring poetry, it’s about your students exploring identity, self-expression and self-confidence. Over the years Tower Hamets schools have produced performance poets of incredible talent who have gone on to national acclaim.

    I learned who I am.

    I learned that my voice can be heard.

    The most valuable aspect was learning how to express feelings that you may not know you have.

    Joelle was great and taught us loads also it really improved my self-esteem; and I found out that dyslexia doesn’t stop you from doing everything.

    I learned how to make my feelings heard.

    I have found me. I have learned that I can be proud of my work.

    Comments about the workshops from the students

    Register

    Sign up via your school’s SLA Online portal. Contact the Schools Library Services for more information about this event.

    • Tel : 020 7364 6428
    • email : schoolslibraryservices@towerhamlets.gov.uk
  • Tower Hamlets Book Award 2013

    Tower Hamlets Book Award 2013

    Latest for the Book Award

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    About the 2013 Award

    It’s that time again where we prepare for the new Tower Hamlets Book Award. This is our 7th year of running this successful event for Tower Hamlets primary and secondary schools.

    The shortlist for the award will be drawn in July from the Teen and Primary booklists in time for the Summer Reading Challenge

    The booklists are an opportunity to start reading groups around some of the best new fiction for the year.

    Don’t forget that you can arrange author, illustrator or storyteller visits to get your school enthused about reading, writing and being creative.

    Book Awards and reading help raise achievement in literacy, and are great fun as well, so what are you waiting for?

    How to take part

    Posters for the Primary Booklist will be sent to all primary schools in early May. The booklist is aimed at pupils in Key Stage 2.

    Posters for the Teen Booklist will be sent to subscribing secondary schools in late April/ ealy May. The teen list is aimed at Key Stages 3 and 4.

    The Book Award is aimed at years 5, 6, 7 and 8 and encourages children to continue using their school libraries during their transition between year groups/ schools. Schools and librarians will vote on the shortlist of 6 to 8 books from both Teen and Primary lists in July.

    Between September and November participating schools take part in reading groups and activities based around the shortlist and vote for the winning book in time for the Grand Finale

  • The Must Read Booklist 2013

    The Must Read Booklist 2013

    MustRead2013Banner40 of the best new books for your primary school Library
    The Primary Booklist is our new annual selection of fiction by librarians from the Schools Library Service and primary and secondary schools.
    Titles from the Teen and Primary lists will be chosen for the Book Award Shortlist in July. Don’t forget to register for this event!
    The booklist represents a selection of the best new fiction first published in paperback this year, and aims to cover as diverse a range of subjects, genres, authors and interests as possible.
    A set of posters for the booklist will be sent to all subscribing primary schools in early May.
    Download the full booklist: Must Read Booklet 2013 (.pdf)

    Tel: 020 7364 6428 email: schoolslibraryservices@towerhamlets.gov.uk for more information.

    Must Read 2013 and THe List posters and booklet based on a design by Shahi Ibtesam, Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat Secondary School

    Other Must Read booklists

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  • Teen Booklist : THe List 2013

    Teen Booklist : THe List 2013

    TheList2013banner40 of the best new books for your collection.

    The Teenage Booklist is selected annually by librarians from the Schools Library Service and secondary schools.

    Titles from the Teen and Primary lists will be chosen for the Book Award Shortlist in July. Remember to let us know if you want to participate!

    The list represents a selection of the best new fiction first published in paperback this year, and aims to cover as diverse a range of subjects, genres, authors and interests as possible.

    Posters and booklets will be sent to subscribing secondary schools from the end of April.

    Download the .pdf booklet of the full booklist : THe List 2013 Booklet

    Tel: 020 7364 6428 email: schoolslibraryservices@towerhamlets.gov.uk for more information.
    Must Read 2013 and THe List 2013 posters and booklet based on a design by Shahi Ibtesam, Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat Secondary School

    Other Teen booklists

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  • Designing Your School Library

    Designing Your School Library

    Whether you have a new library, are moving within the building, or are just looking to rejuvinate your existing area, the Schools Library Service can offer impartial expert advice on making the best use of your library space:

    • A design tailored to how your school intends to use the library
    • Help in choosing the best specialist furniture suppliers
    • A space to inspire
    • Display, guiding and signage
    • Quality stock
    • Subject indexes for research and reference
    • Integration of information technology into the library
    • Installation of library computer management systems

    Call us on 020 7364 6428 or use our contact form to get in touch about this service

    You may also be interested in :

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