What we strive to do at Budehaven Library.
In the Budehaven library our aim is to provide a flexible and adaptive learning space that can be used by all members of the Budehaven community. We strive to acquire and maintain a wide range of resources that can be used by both pupils and members of staff to enrich reading and learning within the school.
As librarians we aim to develop and promote a culture of reading within students that will hopefully last them a lifetime. Furthermore we aim to develop information literacy skills within the school and to inspire students to take on independent research and learning.
NEWS UPDATES

Thursday 3rd March was World Book Day and Budehaven celebrated with all staff and students given the opportunity to dress as their favourite book character, with an emphasis on Harry Potter characters as it is the 25th anniversary of both Harry Potter and WBD this year.
We had lots of witches and wizards around the school and some of them came to the Library to have their photos taken.
Prizes were given to all student who took part, with the overall winning costumes being Mad-Eye Moody, The 10th Doctor, and the Mad Hatter.
The best dressed staff awards went to Hagrid and Rita Skeeter.
There was a book sale in the Bistro with all proceeds going to the Ukraine appeal. £430 was made on the day with the remainder of the books in the library available to any late shoppers.
The canteen really got into the spirit of the day and produced an amazing menu to support our Harry Potter themed day. So many of the students commented on the golden snitch cakes which were on sale that day.
All students were given WBD vouchers via their tutors, which they can spend in Spencer Thorn and WHSmith in town.
The Budehaven Library would like to say a big thank you to everyone who took part in making this a very special day, we had a lot of fun seeing our students and staff dressing up and celebrating a shared love of reading and the magical worlds and characters that make our favourite books so memorable.
25th February 2022

Note: Due to the library currently being part of the Sixth Form bubble, students can still see the library catalogue and access books through ‘click and collect’.
Students can now search our book catalogue online and then request a copy of their chosen book via the dedicated Library and Learning Hub page.
Requested books will be issued, then sent to your Form Tutor who will hand them out during tutor time.
Note: If the books you have requested are already issued to another student we will email you and reserve them for you, so you will get your request when it becomes available.
Due to the changes across the school as a result of ensuring we provide a Covid secure environment the school library will operate in a different way from from September 2020 – You can find all the details relating to school changes here.
Recommended Reads
Consider the reviews you’ve read
Visit a site where you like to read reviews (Amazon, Book Trust and Waterstones are good places to start) and find examples that you think are effective. Ask yourself what it is that you like about the review, and find ways to showcase those same elements in an original way in your own. Maybe you’re swayed by great pull quotes, thorough plot summaries, or a review with a strong voice. Do you love reviews that are conversational, like you’re talking with a friend? Do you want a bit of humour in your book recs? Or do you prefer a serious tone, to convey how much thought you’ve put into your feelings about the book? These are all techniques you can use to make your own reviews even more successful.
Download the ‘Recommend A Read Help Sheet’ (100Kb PDF)
.
Start with telling us the name of the Book and the Author, then a couple of sentences describing what the book is about
But without giving any spoilers or revealing plot twists! As a general rule, try to avoid writing in detail about anything that happens from about the middle of the book onwards. If the book is part of a series, it can be useful to mention this, and whether you think you’d need to have read other books in the series to enjoy this one.
Discuss what you particularly liked about the book, you don’t have to mention all of these, just one or two aspects of the story.
- Who was your favourite character, and why?
- Did the characters feel real to you?
- Did the story keep you guessing?
- What was your favourite part of the book, and why?
- Were certain types of scene written particularly well – for example sad scenes, tense scenes, mysterious ones…?
- Did the book make you laugh or cry?
- Did the story grip you and keep you turning the pages?
Mention anything you disliked about the book
- Did you wish the ending hadn’t been a cliff-hanger because you found it frustrating?
- Did you find it difficult to care about a main character, and could you work out why?
- Was the story too scary for your liking, or did it focus on a theme you didn’t find interesting?
- Round up your review
- Summarise some of your thoughts on the book by suggesting the type of reader you’d recommend the book to. For example: younger readers, older readers, fans of relationship drama/mystery stories/comedy. Are there any books or series you would compare it to?
Once you’ve written your review, between 50 and 150 words, or a good sized paragraph, read through it, then email it to library@budehaven.cornwall.sch.uk or use the form below.
If you want to send your review with an illustration, hand drawn or using your computer, please do, but don’t feel you have to.
If you want to hand write your review please hand this into the library, and don’t forget your Name and Tutor group, or we can’t give you your 10 points for your House.
Remember your house needs you to read more so you can review more!