Learning Resource Centre
The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) at St Matthew Academy is a vibrant hub of literacy-based activity. We are open to pupils and staff from Monday – Friday.
We aim to have something for everyone in our user-friendly LRC; a calm and inviting environment for pupils to work, read, enjoy our resources, and let their voices grow. Pupils can borrow up to three books at a time from our growing range of fiction and non-fiction.
Need some help? The LRC staff can help pupils choose the right book for them, with fiction divided up by reading age for primary pupils and by genre for secondary pupils. To help support the transition from KS2 into KS3, we also have a transitional section of books aimed at bridging the gap between primary and secondary reading, and helping even more pupils to get into reading!
Every fortnight, Literacy Corner is published in the SMA newsletter. This includes book reviews and recommendations and what has been happening in the LRC. Also, follow us on Twitter @StMattAcadLRC
Mrs Fields
Sora online reading app
Through our online reading app Sora, secondary students and staff have free access to over 1,000 ebooks and 100’s of audiobooks at the touch of a button! Just click on the ‘Sora’ tab on the same RM Unify Launchpad that pupils use to access their school email and Google Classrooms. They can also download it onto their smartphone.
Sora Superstar certificates are awarded to those reading the most books on Sora each month.
Follow us on Twitter @StMattAcadLRC for updates on our KS3 & KS4 recommended books, in-house and external competitions, author visits, and recommendations and top readers from Sora.
Guest Authors
We have been delighted to welcome children’s, teen and young adult guest authors to the Academy on many occasions to deliver presentations to multiple year groups, and creative writing workshops to our secondary phase students. These have included:
Holly Webb, the author of 156 books, including the Animal Stories series, Animal Magic series, Museum Kittens and the Wintry Tales series.
Catherine Johnson, the author of historical fiction, including Sawbones, Race to the Frozen North, Freedom and The Curious Tale of the Lady Caraboo.
Sufiya Ahmed, author of Secrets of the Henna Girl, Noor-un-Nissa Inayat Khan, and Rosie Raja amongst many others.
Gareth P. Jones, children’s author of picture books including Rabunzel, Snowy White, The Thornthwaite Inheritance and Death or Ice Cream.
Breis, author, educator and rap artist. Breis has written Brilliant Rappers Educate Intelligent Students and Diary of a Creative Mind.
Guy Bass, author of the Stitch Head and Skeleton Keys series and much more.
Muhammad Khan, author of I am Thunder, Kick the Moon and Split.
Sarah Mussi, author of Riot, Siege, Angel Dust, The Last of the Warrior Kings and The Door of No Return.
Sophia Bennett, author of Love Song, Following Ophelia, The Look, The Castle and several other titles.
Holly Webb:
Catherine Johnson:
Gareth P. Jones:
Sufiya Ahmed:
Breis:
Guy Bass:
LRC events:
Our pupils are always keen to take part in the borough wide Lewisham book awards and Lewisham book quiz each year. We are fortunate to work with other Lewisham school libraries to host borough-wide literacy events, including the annual Lewisham Book Quiz and the annual Lewisham Book Awards. The Lewisham Book Quiz pitches school teams against one another to share their outstanding literary knowledge.
We are delighted to run annual Literacy Competitions in the LRC and annual House Christmas Literacy Competitions and many literary initiatives across the year including the Reading Bingo challenge and the summer reading challenge for the transition from year 6 to year 7.
World Book Week events and competitions:
During World Book Week, pupils are treated to presentations from visiting authors across both the primary and secondary phases. Quizzes, activities and competitions are run including the very popular ‘Don’t judge a book by it’s cover’. Secondary pupils read to primary pupils and primary pupils have had visiting theatre companies performing some classic children’s stories as well as numerous other activities including treasure hunts and costume parades. Staff are invited to dress up as their favourite character from a book to inspire our pupils in their reading.
Literacy Corner:
Every fortnight the Learning Resource Centre publishes its edition of Literacy Corner in the St Matthew Academy newsletter. This includes all the news from the LRC including events and competitions. It also contains book reviews for KS1, KS2 and the secondary phase. These reviews are written by our fantastic team of year 6 and year 7 book reviewers.
Click on this link to view the links to the newsletters and Literacy corner https://www.stmatthewacademy.co.uk/news-and-events/sma-newsletter
Student Librarian:
We have recruited a team of pupils to help out in the Learning Resource Centre as student librarians. They provide invaluable help during the very busy lunchtime, helping check books in and out.
External Competitions:
Every year we encourage pupils to enter a variety of other external writing competitions. These include the Foyles Young Poets of the Year award and the National Poetry Day competition.
