CHILDREN at Silverton C of E Primary School are celebrating this week after the opening of their refurbished library.

The old library had been well-loved over the years but had become very worn and some of the books had been there a very long time.

Thanks to the Friends of Silverton School (FOSS), the library has been completely refurbished and new shelves and furniture purchased so that it looks smart and up-to-date.

Gill Adnams, the Head of School, invited the children to choose the colour scheme for the new room and said: “We asked the children which colour they thought would work best for their new library and they chose lime green for the shelves, paintwork and chairs. It looks really smart and vibrant!”.

The school and PTA have worked together to enable each child to choose a new book for the library, using the Devon County Council’s Library Service to guide their decisions.

Each child wrote a name plate to put in the front of their book, so that there is a lasting reminder of their book choice. 

The new room was opened last week by Andy Mathers, the Chair of FOSS, and members of the committee.

The school librarians cut the ribbon and declared the library open.

 The librarians are all very proud of their new-look room and are looking forward to helping the other children to choose new books.

One of them said: “We love being able to help the younger children choose books and showing them some of our favourite books as well.” 

John Jolliffe, the Executive Head of the Exe Valley Federation, which includes Silverton School and six other local primary schools, wanted the library to be a real focus point for the school and to show that the love of reading and books is at the heart of children’s learning.

The children at Silverton now have a space to be proud of and can look forward to many years of choosing and sharing books from their new library.