Raglan is fundraising to help convert a spare classroom into a new library. At the moment we have reading books in classrooms and corridors but we don’t have a dedicated library, which is an essential space to browse and read books for pleasure. Raglan is a federation of two schools with 930 pupils.

OfSTED recently reported that our “Reading is the beating heart of the school” (OfSTED, January 2025) which is a good reflection of our strong reading culture. A library would further enhance our provision and fill the gap left by the reduction of public libraries.

What will the money be used for?

We will use the funding to convert the classroom into a library, which means removing unnecessary electrical trunking and other items. We also need to refurbish the hard flooring and decorate throughout.

We will use a library design company to design the space and then install the agreed plans over the Summer Holidays in 2025 ready for a grand opening in the new academic year.

The final spend will be on the most essential part of a library, the books! Whilst we do have some stock already to go into the library, we would like to refresh that with some new books.

We welcome donations towards this project and have set an initial target of £15,000. Please do tick the Gift Aid option if you are eligible.

Timeline

March - Project launch and fundraising begins

April - Library plans reviewed and agreed

May-June - Fundraising and preliminary work begins

Summer - Library installation

September - Opening