“For me ICT is about the future,” said Mustafa Shaikh, head of Eastover primary, Bridgwater, Somerset. “But going back to basics is also important.
You need books. You need a balanced approach.”
His 400-pupil school employed a part-time librarian in September 2005 to revamp the library and encourage pupils to borrow books.
Mr Shaikh said: “The library was very dated so it is now being restocked.
We are looking at the quality and range of books and making sure they are banded at appropriate levels. Before they were just all over the shop. We have put in a database to keep track of what has been taken out.”
The school also works with parents encouraging them to read to children at home and help with reading in school.
Eastover spends pound;2,000 to pound;3,000 on the library and literacy each year. It also has interactive whiteboards in every classroom bought with e-learning credits - dedicated funds for ICT of at least pound;1,000 per school.
