Learning Resource Hub
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At the Heart of the school on the second floor.
The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) is at the heart of the school on the second floor. The LRC is open before school, after school and at break times, when students are welcome to come and do supervised study, get help with homework and get suggestions about what to read next.
The LRC is open for study after school, Monday to Friday from 2.45pm – 4.00pm.
New releases, bestsellers, award-winning authors and recommended reads are available along with a large selection of fiction and nonfiction books.
It has a thriving school shop where students can buy revision guides and workbooks at reduced rates, along with a full range of bargain stationery priced from 10p. For Key Stage 3 resources click HERE. For Key Stage 4 resources click HERE. For Key Stage 5 resources click HERE.
The last Ofsted report said that it’s a “vibrant and well-used library”.
Please follow the link below to access our online catalogue.
Seneca Learning
Worried about COVID-19 learning gaps in education?
Worry not… Seneca Learning and CENTURY to the rescue.
Technology has changed how we communicate and operate, both at home and at work. Haberdashers’ Abraham Darby is no exception. We use SIMS to notify parents about house points and to send messages and reports. We use Google Classroom to set/record homework and to record details of COVID-19 work for absent pupils and we use a range of online platforms to help pupils consolidate and review their learning.
Seneca Learning is another of our favourites – this allows pupils to revisit previously learned content and then test themselves. Get a free parent account HERE and see what learning your child has done and how successful they were.
Further information including ‘How to login’ can be found HERE.
Maths Watch
Maths Watch is a great way to revise and recover maths content, Quizlet is great for making flashcards to revise facts, keywords and definitions and Kahoot is a popular multiple-choice quizzing tool.
Maths Watch provides students with instructional videos, worksheets and online questions that support the mathematics curriculum.
Further information on how to use this can be found HERE. Students have their own username and login for Maths Watch which they will have recorded in their planners.
Wholeschool Reading
At Haberdashers’ Abraham Darby, developing our student’s reading skills to their maximum potential is an absolute priority for us for many reasons:
- Reading for pleasure can benefit a child’s education, social and cognitive development, wellbeing, communication skills and mental health.
- Studies have proven that reading for pleasure enhances the ability to understand one’s own and others’ identities.
- Reading helps children become more successful within and beyond the classroom.
Reading Across The Curriculum
As part of our commitment to literacy across the school, all subject areas promote impressive reading, writing and speaking. Students are exposed to a wide range of subject-specific texts, which enhances their understanding of the curriculum and subject-specific vocabulary.
Library: We value the importance of students reading in their own time. Haberdashers’ Abraham Darby has an excellent library with a wide range of fiction and non-fiction available to all students. New books are regularly purchased to ensure our students have access to the most up-to-date literature.
PRIME: For years 7-10, two mentor periods a week are given over to reading for pleasure. We’ve developed a bespoke reading canon that is designed to both challenge our students and also broaden their understanding of important local and global issues. This was made possible by a generous grant from the Haberdashers.
Reading Buddies: A selection of struggling readers in Year 7 are part of our reading buddies programme. Twice a week during mentor time, each of these students completes one-to-one reading practice with a 6th-form volunteer.
Reading Role Models: For 20 minutes after school each Thursday, a member of staff brings along an extract of a text they have really enjoyed and shares it with the group.
Reading Trips: When the opportunity arises, we aim to get students out of school to see performances of books/plays they have covered in school. This includes trips to theatres in Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton and Birmingham to see performances such as ‘An Inspector Calls’, ‘Animal Farm’ or ‘Macbeth’.
Book Fayre: We provide opportunities for students to purchase their own books during the Scholastic Book Fayre visits. So far, the LRC has received up to £2,000 worth of free books as a result of Book Fayre purchases.
Reading Intervention
Students complete an online reading assessment twice a year. Students who are significantly below their expected reading age are selected to participate in one of two reading intervention programmes:
- Ruth Miskin’s Fresh Start Read Write Inc: Selected students attend phonics sessions during mentor time four times a week.
- Reading Plus: An online reading programme which is designed to improve fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, stamina and motivation. Students attend four times a week during mentor time.
Reading At Home
Parents can play a vital role in promoting reading for pleasure at home. Here are some suggestions:
- Create a dedicated reading space at home. This should ideally be somewhere quiet and comfortable, with no visible distractions (i.e. game consoles).
- Establish a set routine for reading time (i.e. 20 minutes before bed).
- Read with your child, taking it in turns to each take a page. Try to discuss what’s been read and what your child thinks might happen next.
- Give a book as a birthday or Christmas present (ideally tailored towards your child’s interests).
- Reading doesn’t always have to be about books. If your child has a particular hobby, why not see if there are relevant magazines available?
Home Reading Support
Mobile phones are often seen as the enemy of books. But not necessarily! Here are some great apps for supporting and encouraging reading:
- Marvel Unlimited: Read the comic books that inspired your favourite superheroes and villains on the big screen!
- Kindle: Never be without a book – Kindle books you have purchased on Amazon will automatically appear in your app.
- First News: The app version of the award-winning, weekly British newspaper written for children and young people (aged 7-14).
- The Week Junior: The app version of Britain’s fastest growing children’s magazine, written for 8-14 year-olds. It’s filled with fascinating stories and information, written to engage young minds and encourage them to explore.
There are also some fantastic websites that offer reading support and advice:
- Literacy Trust: Provides a fantastic range of reading resources and advice.
- Book Trust: An excellent website for identifying books that may interest your child.
- School Reading List: Provides some great reading list suggestions, including the sorts of magazines your child may enjoy.
- British Dyslexia Association: Provides some excellent advice and resources for supporting young people with dyslexia.
If you have any questions please contact Miss Condé, Head of Literacy: charlotte.conde@taw.org.uk.
Homework
At Haberdashers’ Abraham Darby, we believe that homework enhances pupil achievement and progress by reinforcing classwork and consolidating learning. It’s vital for developing pupils’ study skills and independent learning ability and as such is an integral part of the curriculum.
Homework will be set by all subjects on a weekly/two-weekly basis (some subjects are only taught once every two weeks). Homework may take the form of written tasks, extended projects over a number of weeks, research tasks, revision or assessment pieces; on average homework will take between 30 and 60 minutes per subject. Students should record their homework in their student planners, teachers will also record the homework on Google Classrooms.
Homework
As your child moves up through the school the length and the complexity of homework will increase, with sixth formers completing a minimum of one to two hours a night on homework, revision or wider reading.
When parents and the school work together in partnership, children perform better. We feel that parents have a key role to play in ensuring that homework is completed to the best of their child’s ability. Demonstrating an interest in, and discussing their homework with them, helps children recognise and value learning as a lifelong process.
Parents are encouraged to provide practical support for homework by:
- Establishing a routine whereby homework is given a recognised place in home life
- Discussing homework with the young person regularly
- Checking and signing the student planner for homework issued when required
- Providing an appropriate place where study can be undertaken
We recognise that not all homework will be completed at home; in fact, some pupils lack the necessary resources (books and computers) more readily available at school, so it’s possible for pupils to complete homework in the Learning Resource Centre after the school day if required.
Due to the complexity of the school timetable, it’s impossible to produce an easy-to-read homework timetable for individual pupils, however, all pupils should be told when their homework will be set and collected on a two-weekly cycle.
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