Library newsletter

Therse lists have been curated by a former school librarian and are full of brilliant books, many of which we have in the library.

Enjoy this classic tale, a GCSE set text, locally in Lewes this Saturday, 20th December. use the link below for more details.

Many students ask me for horror stories. It isn't a genre I read but this article explains why reading horror stories can help children put their fears into perspective.

A huge thank-you to all the families who generously donated 19 books since the last newsletter, through our Love Reading 4 Kids wishlist. Your support also earned the library £50 in credit, which allowed me to purchase six additional new books for our students. These contributions make a real difference—expanding our collection, supporting a love of reading, and ensuring every child can discover stories that inspire and excite them. Thank you for helping our library grow!

We also accept donations from home. We are always looking for copies of the Lottie Brooks, Twilight, The Hunger Games and Lord of the Rings series but please do not donate Diary of a Wimpy Kid or David Walliams books, we have plenty of those titles already in stock and lots of spares. If you are interested in donating to the library, here are some guidleines.

The books should be suitable for children aged 11-16, not older or younger.

They should be in good condition.

If we can't use them in the main library, that you consent to them being used around the school for other purposes.

Any questions, please email librarian@oathall.org

Our year 8 students were enthralled by Chrism Bradford! He came dressed as a Ninja, talked about the history of Samurai and Ninja in japan, excited students with his performances and activey involed students in telling stories.

I hope your child enjoyed his visit, any feedback is welcome.

We recently visited Ardingly College to share in their author visit from Matt Goodfellow. Already an acclaimed poet, Matt has recently published the award-winning verse novel The Final Year, which details the challenges Nate faces during his final year at primary school. Matt spoke movingly about his childhood, his rock star ambitions and his years as a teacher in Manchester, explaining how all these experiences feed into his writing. He emphasised the joyful freedom of poetry as a form of self-expression and the importance of every child, whatever their background, discovering their voice and realising their significance in the world.

Students from all years enjoyed a range of activites based around Hogwarts and the Harry Potter stories. They enjoyed quiet activites like word searches, colouring and origami, including making witches hats and owls. The student librarians ran a quiz, based on the books and not the films (by demand). year 7s were challenged to build a scene from the books using lego and our student librarians ran craft activities, including sewing and pompom making.

High jinx all round!

Jane Austen was a ground-breaking author whose six novels, including Pride and Prejudice, have endured for over two centuries. Her works have been continually reimagined, inspiring countless adaptations for stage and screen, and continue to captivate new generations of readers.

To celebrate Austen’s literary legacy, students were invited to immerse themselves in Regency culture with a traditional afternoon tea. The event was enriched by live music performed by two students alongside one of our talented music teachers. Guests enjoyed a selection of sandwiches, cakes and scones, beautifully presented on Regency-style crockery, with tea served in elegant cups and saucers. The carefully crafted atmosphere provided the perfect setting for discussion, creativity and drama.

The afternoon concluded with a lively and engaging performance of the first proposal scene from Pride and Prejudice, delivered by our Year 10 students. Their performance brought the text vividly to life and was enjoyed by all in attendance.

We left the event energised and inspired, reminded of the enduring power of storytelling and the timeless appeal of Jane Austen’s work.

The government has designated 2026 as the National Year of Reading and here at Oathall, we will be offering all sorts of activites. Click the link below to foind out more.

Remember to make time for yourself to read, whether that is a story or non-fiction. The benefits of reading are there for you as well as your child.