The Kassia Academy opens new facility thanks to successful funding bid

The Kassia Academy based in Longbarn celebrated the opening of its new library after months of work and preparations.

An important pillar within the community, the school supports children with social, emotional and mental health needs, who have been identified as being at risk of exclusion, harm or have already been excluded from mainstream education.  

And after a successful Condition Improvement Fund bid, the school decided to invest the money in building a library to continue its efforts in improving and promoting reading skills among its students.

The library was built thanks to a successful funding bid (Image: Supplied)
Noting the positive impact the library has already had on students since its arrival, executive head teacher, Lindsay Regan, said: “The difference in the learners' approach to reading is noticeable.

“Learners are far more confident and will now offer to read aloud in class, something that would never have happened before.

“Reading with confidence can open doors for our learners. It was incredibly important to us to provide opportunities and support to our learners to enable this to happen.

“The difference in our children is incredible.”

Regular access to the library and targeted reading interventions has resulted in a marked increase in reading ages and learners’ confidence, the school detailed.

Students have also expressed their joy at the opening of the new library, which is a place of solace for so many during schooling years.

The library officially opened on Friday (Image: Supplied)
One student said: “The new library is great. There are some really good books in there, especially all the history and fact books.”

Another student added: “It's great to have somewhere quiet to go that's really comfortable to read.”

While a third noted: “All the books are really good. I like the Heartstopper series the most.”

The library is now an essential part of the curriculum, providing scheduled lessons and one-on-one reading interventions led by learning mentors.

Every student has their own library book and participates in class reading sessions as part of the school's literacy strategy.

Additionally, magazine subscriptions have been introduced to engage learners and encourage them to read beyond social media.

The opening of the library took place last Friday (July 5) and was attended by Bob and Janet Heap from the Longbarn Residents Association as well as the school head Karl Hanna, and a group of enthusiastic learners.