The School Library

All children access the library in a weekly class library session. Junior children can also visit the library during the junior lunchtime session every Thursday.  

Children are encouraged to select new books, with the emphasis on reading for pleasure as we believe that reading is something that we can all enjoy.

Library Days

• Reception – Friday (after half term)
• Year 1 – Wednesday
• Year 2 – Wednesday
• Year 3 – Thursday
• Year 4 – Thursday
• Year 5 – Thursday
• Year 6 – Thursday

The library is also open every Thursday lunchtime for junior children to come and use the library between 12:00pm and 1pm.

Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize 2024/5

We have been participating in the Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize again this year, which is always a pleasure. The group size has doubled so there are six Year 6 and six Year 5 children reading, discussing and voting on the books. Thank you to Bethany, Charlie, Jonas, Matilda, Otto, Scarlet, Anella, Bella, Keri, Luba, Marcus and Sofia for all your hard work and enthusiasm. We will shortly be reporting on our winner (and our thoughts about the books) to the whole school. You can find more information here.

Author visits in 2024/25

We are looking forward to a visit to Years 3 and 4 in May 2025 from author Joseph Elliott and a visit to Reception in June 2025 from author Alexandra Strick and author and illustrator Steve Antony.

On Thursday 6th March (World Book Day), we were delighted to host author Claire Hatcher-Smith to talk to Years 4, 5 and 6 about her debut novel The Mizzy Mysteries. The children really enjoyed learning how to think like detectives.

On Thursday 27th February, Years 5 and 6 enjoyed a fabulous visit from author Annelise Gray. She gave a fascinating interactive talk about Ancient Rome, chariot racing and the parallels with Formula One and left lots of children eager to read her Circus Maximus series.

On Monday 24th February, Years 3 and 4 had the amazing opportunity to see author and illustrator Neill Cameron at KES Junior School. He talked to the children about his Mega Robo Bros series and about creating exciting, funny comic books and they had the chance to try out their drawing skills!

In September / October 2024, all classes from Year 1 to Year 6 enjoyed brilliant trips to the Bath Children’s Literature Festival to see Katherine Rundell, A F Steadman, Onjali Q Rauf, Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre and Cressida Cowell. Many thanks to Bath Festivals for these amazing opportunities and for the free book which was given to every child with their ticket. 

Author visits in previous years

On Thursday 2nd May 2024 we were delighted to host Piu DasGupta who spoke to Years 4, 5 and 6 about her amazing debut novel Secrets of the Snakestone. The Paris sewers have never sounded so thrilling!

On Wednesday 17th April 2024, Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 had a fabulous time with award winning author and illustrator Chris Naylor-Ballesteros and many have been inspired to create their own illustrated stories!

On Friday 22nd March 2024, we were delighted to host a visit by the fabulous award winning author Catherine Doyle, author of the Storm Keepers series. Years 5 and 6 enjoyed a fascinating talk about her new book Pirates of Darksea and how to create your own characters, plots and deadly pirate ships!

On Tuesday 5th March 2024, Years 3 and 4 had the amazing opportunity to see Laura Ellen Anderson at KES Junior School. She spoke about writing and illustrating her new book Marnie Midnight and the children had the chance to create some amazing drawings!

In October 2023, all classes from Year 1 to Year 6 enjoyed wonderful visits to the Bath Children’s Literature Festival, seeing the fabulous authors Nadia Shireen, Katie and Kevin Tsang, Frank Cottrell Boyce, Phil Earle, Hiba Noor Khan and Katherine Rundell. Many thanks to Bath Festivals for such inspiring opportunities!

E L Norry visited Years 5 and 6 to give a brilliant talk about her new book Fablehouse on Friday 23rd June 2023. Fablehouse is available to borrow in the school library and is a fascinating and exciting read!

We enjoyed a visit on a suitably windy and rainy day on Monday 13th March 2023 from local author Tamsin Mori to speak to Years 4, 5 and 6 about the final book in her brilliant Weather Weaver series. All Weather Weaver books are available in the school library. 

Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 enjoyed an exciting visit from Sarah Coyle for an interactive Pick a Story session on Wednesday 8th February 2023. The children really enjoyed voting on and acting out the different stories.

We enjoyed a brilliant (and scary) visit from Eve Wersocki Morris who visited Years 5 and 6 on Wednesday 18th January 2023 to talk about her new book The Wildstorm Curse. 

We were delighted to be invited to visit KES Junior School on Thursday 19th January 2023 to see Abi Elphinstone speaking about her new book Saving Neverland. Years 3 and 4 had a wonderful time. 

Please see below for the fabulous visits which have taken place in the last five years (in addition to the annual visits to the Bath Children’s Literature Festival).

• Cerrie Burnell in May 2022 to talk to Years  4, 5 and 6 about her new book Wilder than Midnight
• A live Zoom event with Cressida Cowell in June 2021 to talk about her new book in the Wizards of Once series – Never and Forever.
• Hannah Shaw in February 2020 to talk to Years 1, 2 and 3 about her new book Unipiggle: Unicorn Muddle.
• Anna James in October 2019 to talk to Years 4 and 6 about her Pages & Co series of books. 
• Stewart Foster in July 2019 to talk to Years 4 and 6 about his new book Check Mates
• Abi Elphinstone in June 2019 to talk to Years 3, 4 and 5 about her new book Rumblestar
• Catherine Bruton in May 2019 to talk to Year 6 about her critically acclaimed new book No Ballet Shoes In Syria 
• Fleur Hitchcock in March 2019 to talk to the whole school about her new books Clifftoppers and the Boy Who Flew
• Costa Children’s Book Award winner Jasbinder Bilan in February 2019 to talk to Years 4 and 5 about her debut novel Asha and the Spirit Bird
• Carina Axelsson in January  2019 to talk to Years 4 and 6 about her new book Royal Rebel 
• Years 5 and 6 also enjoyed an inspiring trip to Frome in February 2019 to see the brilliant authors Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Nicki Thornton and Maz Evans. Many thanks to Bath Festivals and The Little Things Magazine for organising this free event.