St Augustine’s celebrates official re-opening of transformed school library

St Augustine's School, Scarborough officially celebrated the grand re-opening of its newly transformed library this week, marked by a special ceremony and a blessing from Fr Gubbins.

The event brought together key figures from across the school and local community, including Mrs McEvoy, CEO of St Cuthbert’s Catholic Academy Trust, school governors and representatives from the National Literacy Trust, alongside members of the Scarborough Museums Learning Team and the Cultural Programming Manager.

The summer transformation has turned the library into a vibrant, welcoming hub complete with soft seating, ambient dimmable lighting, brand-new furniture and digital information displays. Since returning in September, students and staff alike have flocked to the upgraded space during lunchtimes for activities ranging from quiet reading and book clubs to chess and 'Cozy Fridays'.

Speaking about the opening, Headteacher Miss R. Flanagan said:

'We are thrilled to officially reopen our library space. Reading is foundational to everything we do here at St Augustine’s and seeing our students embrace this new environment with such enthusiasm has been truly wonderful.'

The refurbishment comes at a fitting time as 2026 marks the national ‘Year of Reading’. St Augustine’s is placing literacy at the heart of daily school life, incorporating reading into morning registration with Form Tutors and embedding ‘Guided Reading’ right across the curriculum.

Mrs R. Gomersall, Library and Literacy Lead, added:

'Our goal was to create a space where every student feels inspired to pick up a book. The library is now a true beacon for literacy across our school and it has rapidly turned into a bustling core of student life and activity.'