We offer all Tameside schools and early years settings
Class Visits
Our aim is to encourage reading for pleasure and to provide opportunities for children to learn or reinforce the skills that will encourage lifelong learning.

What we offer

• Class visits designed to meet communication, language and literacy requirements for Early Years Foundation Stage, KS1 And KS2
• KS3 library skills sessions and library induction tours
• KS3 introduction to online resources
• Skilled, experienced and enthusiastic staff
• The opportunity for children to learn in a community setting
• The first opportunity for some children to visit a public library
• The potential for children to introduce other family members to library services, lifelong learning and family learning
• An annual class visit for every Year 2 class and every Year 5 or 6 class* in Tameside
• A new programme of class visits available across Foundation Stage, KS1, KS2 and KS3
• * Year 5 or Year 6: Schools choose the year they feel will gain the most benefit from a visit

Arranging a Visit

Branch Librarians will contact the school to arrange Year 2 and Year 5/6 class visits and we recommend that they speak to individual class teachers to check the details and make arrangements.

 For other visits please select your requirement from the programme list, and then contact your local Branch Librarian as listed.

 Please tell us as soon as you can if you need to postpone the visit to avoid unnecessary preparatory work.

We understand that not all schools are within reasonable travelling distance of a library and in these cases Branch Librarians will visit the school to talk to the children. The content of the visit may have to be adjusted accordingly.

Early Years Foundation Stage

These visits involve active learning, creativity and new experiences for the children.

Health, movement & space

• Developing movement with imagination using stories and rhymes
• Healthy diet and physical activities
• Introduces appropriate vocabulary to children alongside their actions
• Follow up activities
  This visit lasts approximately 30 minutes

Numbers, shapes, spaces and measures

• Numbers and shapes through stories and rhymes
• Space and measures activities
• Follow up activities
  This visit lasts approximately 30 minutes

Who’s your favourite?

Stories, rhymes and activities with favourite book characters

• Elmer – numbers, shapes and colours
• Daisy – staying safe and local environment
• Gruffalo – animals and habitats
• Maisy – Places we go, all about me
• Kipper – celebrations: birthday or seasonal
• Poppy cat – Time: seasons, weather, night and day
• Bears – Finding out and journeys
• Activities for other characters connected with a suitable theme can also be arranged
  These visits last approximately 30 minutes

Traditional stories

• Stories and rhymes from different cultures
• Specific country/countries and/or theme of your choice
• Follow up activities
  This visit lasts approximately 30 minutes

Booktime (for Reception children)

• Stories and activities related to the current years’ Booktime gift for reception children
• Stories and activities based on previous years books are also available. These include
  Hairy Maclary
  Funnybones
  Harry and the dinosaurs go to school 

People who help us*

• Visit the library to learn how library staff help people in the community. Classes can prepare questions to ask in advance.
• Listen to stories and look at books about people who help.

The local area around our school*

• The library is a community building- everyone is welcome.
• Book a visit and look out for other community buildings on your walk from school. Compare old and new buildings
• Children learn what happens in a library.

 * These 2 visits can be combined into one session if required

Key Stage 1

These visits develop children’s knowledge, skills and understanding, integrating work in speaking and listening, reading and writing.

Fantastic Fairy Tales

• Retellings and variations of favourite stories included
• Coverage of one specific story if required
• Rhymes and activities
  This visit lasts approximately 45 minutes

Around the World

• Stories and rhymes from different cultures
• Specific country/countries and/or theme of your choice
• Library skills activity
  This visit lasts approximately 45 minutes

Poetry

• Developing writing skills
• Encourages enjoyment of reading
• Specific theme of your choice if required
  This visit lasts approximately 45 minutes

Favourite book characters

• Encourages children to read more widely and independently
• Reinforces children’s knowledge
• Develops children’s confidence to make choices
  This visit lasts approximately 45 minutes

Choosing stories

• Making independent choices
• Discussing preferences and giving reasons for choices made
• Predicting story content from unfamiliar book covers
  This visit lasts approximately 45 minutes

Year 2 general visit

• Joining the library and the range of materials available
• Library layout and staff
• Reinforce basic library skills
• Listen to stories and ask questions
  This visit lasts approximately 45 minutes

Key Stage 2

These visits develop knowledge and understanding, encouraging children to read a wide range of materials enthusiastically and independently for enjoyment and to develop skills in information handling through investigation, selection and evaluation.

Write to me! (For year 3)

• Exploring pupils favourite authors
• Discovering new authors
• Exploring books written in letter and diary form
• Recommending books to others using letters and postcards
  This visit lasts approximately 1 hour

Poetry Favourites (for years 3 and 4)

• Favourite poets
• Shape poems
• Creating pictures with words
• Themes in poetry
  This visit lasts approximately 1 hour. Poems can be displayed in the library following the visit.

Poetry Performance (for years 5 and 6)

• Classic and narrative poetry
• Performing poems
• Humour and comic verse
  This visit lasts approximately 1 hour. Poems can be displayed in the library following the visit.

Homework Help

• How to find information in the library
• How to locate and use a range of non-fiction texts
• To talk about information needs and how to find and use it
• Selecting sources of information
• Using computers in the library
• Using the libraries online resources
• Visit tailored to curriculum requirements for each year group in KS2
• Can be tailored to fit a specific subject if required
  This visit lasts approximately 1 - 1¼ hours

Enjoying Reading

• Fiction and non-fiction
• What shall I read next?
• Choosing books and discussing preferences
• Introduce new authors and revisit classic texts
• Develop interest in challenging texts
• Visit tailored to each year group in KS2
• Follow up activities

Year 5 or 6 general visit

• Reinforces information skills work
• Provides a practical session using information skills in a public library environment
•  Develops confidence and motivation to enjoy reading more widely and independently
• Introduces the wide range of resources available in the public library
  This visit lasts approximately 1 - 1¼ hours

Using computers in the library and library online resources (for Year 5 or Year 6)

• What computers are used for in the library
• How to use the Tameside online catalogue
• Using the libraries online reference resources
• How to find out if the information found is correct
• Supports ICT curriculum requirements, talking about the uses of ICT outside school, gathering information from a variety of resources, using the internet and keywords to find information
  This visit lasts approximately 1 - 1¼ hours

The Big Wild Read

• Recycling, animals and growing things
• Fiction, information and fun finding out activities
• Can be tailored to suit your classes specific topic or theme
  This visit lasts approximately 1 hour

Central Library Tour

This visit can be tailored to fit a particular subject to introduce pupils to the resources available in each area. Depending on the subject any of the following areas can be incuded in the tour

• Lending Library
• Information Services
• Local Studies
• Art Gallery
  This visit lasts approximately 1 – 2 hours depending on areas included

Drawn into Reading

• Combining a visit to a library and an Art Gallery
• Available at Central, Stalybridge and Hyde libraries and galleries
• Can be a general introduction to both services or can be tailored to fit a specific subject
  This visit lasts approximately 2 hours

Key Stage 3

Library induction and tour

• Visit to local library to discover facilities
• Reasons to read
• Homework help available
• Getting involved in library services, making a positive contribution

Central Library tour

This visit can be tailored to fit a particular subject to introduce pupils to the resources available in each area. Depending on the subject any of the following areas can be incuded in the tour

• Lending Library
• Information Services
• Local Studies
  This visit lasts approximately 1 – 2 hours depending on areas included

Online resources

• Delivered at school
• What libraries offer
• Online library resources for members
• Practical online activities

Follow this link to see a guide for teachers about Class Visits to their local Public Library.

http://www.tameside.gov.uk/tmbc2/library.htm