Wiltshire School Repeats Success at National Library Awards!

Abbeyfield Pupil Named Pupil Library Assistant of the Year (PLAA) 2023.

Year 10 student, Megan Urmston from Abbeyfield School in Chippenham, along with 7 shortlisted pupils from across the UK, was honoured at a special ceremony for the National Pupil Library Assistant Award, hosted by digital media learning company, Pearson, in London on Friday 30th June. Megan was selected from eight finalists at secondary schools across the UK, including a special school for children with autism, a science college and a girls’ school in London. Megan is not only passionate about her own school library but school libraries as a whole having written a letter to her local MP regarding the Great School Libraries campaign. In the letter she stated that a good school library “enables highly skilled library staff to support student learning, attainment, information literacy, wellbeing and be just as key to the development of the student body as curriculum teaching staff and pastoral leaders”. Barbara Band, Chair of the PLAA Judging Panel said: "Megan's nomination showed a love of reading together with an array of tasks carried out to support and promote her school library. “It was clear that not only had she had a significant impact on the library but that working as a Pupil Library Assistant, had also enabled her to develop valuable life skills too.”

This is not the first year of success for Abbeyfield School, they also produced a winner in 2020; a year which saw joint winners, Aaron Prior, then a Year 10 student at Abbeyfield, and Sam Steele-Jessop, then a Year 13 student at University Technical College Norwich, put in the spotlight. Another school got close to the double scoop with Tom Devine from St Hilda’s CE High School in Liverpool being one of the eight finalists. The school’s then pupil, Victoria Langford, took home the prize in 2017. Ten Authors Aloud UK authors were amongst the guests at the event including Steve Cole whose sales exceed over three million copies. Cole, who is best-known for his Young Bond, Astrosaurs series and his collaboration with Astronaut Tim Peake, commented: “I know from author visits that good school libraries are vital for pupil development, and this award recognises and celebrates their transformative power. The best pupil library assistants don’t only become great assets to staff; by taking on library tasks and mentoring others they grow in confidence, ability and motivation that helps them progress strongly to adulthood.” Rebecca Davidson, Marketing Manager at Pearson, who hosted the event, said: “At a time when research and study is evolving at pace, it’s vital that pupils themselves are actively involved in school library development. "At Pearson we are committed to developing a lifelong love of reading, inspiring diversity and inclusion among children and young people. It is wonderful to see children across the country are not only passionate about reading but want to support their peers by ensuring their school library is able to thrive. We would like to congratulate all the children who were nominated, you are an inspiration to us all."

The eight pupil finalists were:

• Jai Castle – Kings Langley Secondary School in Hertfordshire

• Tom Devine – St Hilda’s CE High School in Liverpool

• Chloe Everitt – Hounsdown School in Southampton

• Jacob Fellows – Norton Canes School in Cannock

• Toby Hutchinson - John Fernley College in Leicestershire

• Talia Marcus – Inscape House School in Stockport

• Zeinab Sabri – La Retraite Roman Catholic Girl’s School in London

• Megan Urmston – Abbeyfield School in Chippenham

Open to pupils who assist in secondary school libraries across the UK, the award recognises the impact of their work at their school and equally the value of the experience to the children’s lives. Entries were judged by a panel from the children’s book world and school library community. Nominations for the 2024 award will open in the Autumn term and for the first time, there will be a category for Primary aged pupil library assistants.