Discovery Centre and Sanctuary

The Discovery Centre

The Discovery Centre is a place for exploration and discovery about our world and the universe. It houses our extensive new library, from which teachers and children across the school can borrow books. The Discovery Centre is, however, much more than just our new library! It is also our STEM hub at Southborough. STEM stands for: Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths. 

Book Reviews and Book Recommendations

Not sure what to read next? Ask for a book recommendation and we will find something for you! When you complete this form, Miss Hinton and our Year 6 Reading Champions will find your next book for you. When your book recommendation is ready, your Discovery Centre Ambassadors will collect your new book and bring it back to your classroom for you.

If you have really enjoyed reading a book from the Discovery Centre, you can also submit a book review! All children are encouraged to submit a book review, if they would like to, for a book they have borrowed from our Discovery Centre. Every term, we will select reviews to be displayed alongside book reviews by our Reading Champions in the Discovery Centre.

The Sanctuary

The Sanctuary is a very special space at the heart of our school where our children can find peace, reflect in prayer and flourish together in Christian community. In the autumn we asked pupils and staff what they would like to see the Sanctuary used for. Their vision is that the Sanctuary becomes a guiding light, a safe harbour, a beacon of hope and a solid foundation for our school community.

Keepers, Ambassadors and Champions

Discovery Centre Ambassadors, Year 6 Keepers and Reading Champions all work together to promote the Discovery Centre, the Sanctuary and reading to children across the school. 

Year 6 Keepers

Our Year 6 Keepers look after the Discovery Centre and the Sanctuary. A Keeper is someone charged with responsibility for the preservation and conservation of something valuable. Our Year 6 children are all invited to apply for the position of Keeper. They work for one term in either the Discovery Centre or the Sanctuary for one lunchtime every week.

Being a Keeper means holding a position of responsibility in our school. We expect that Keepers will promote our school vision in all that they do and become beacons of light in our school community.

Each week, Keepers share podcasts about the Discovery Centre and the Sanctuary which you can watch here:

Find out who our Keepers this term are and what they are doing below:

Keepers of the Discovery Centre

Our Keepers of the Discovery Centre look after the library in the Discovery Centre and promote the space to children across the school.

Keepers of the Sanctuary

Our Keepers of the Sanctuary look after the Sanctuary and ensure that everyone treats it with respect and care.

Discovery Centre Ambassadors

Our Discovery Centre Ambassadors are children who act as ambassadors for the Discovery Centre in their classroom. An Ambassador is a representative or promoter of a specified activity. Ambassadors help their class teacher to choose new books from the Discovery Centre and they look after their classroom library. All children in Years 1-6 have the opportunity to be the Discovery Centre Ambassador for their class during the school year.

This term, our Discovery Centre Ambassadors are:

Reading Champions

Our Reading Champions promote reading for pleasure across our school. To be a champion means to enthusiastically support or promote a belief, right or principle. Our Reading Champions are responsible for sharing their love of reading and promoting the right to read for pleasure. Every term, our Reading Champions lead an assembly during which they share their love for reading with the whole school.

This term, we have two groups of Reading Champions. Reading Champions meet once a week in the Discovery Centre and they are all expected to read lots and write book reviews about the books they have read. As Reading Champions, they have the privilege of being able to use the Discovery Centre during their lunchtimes to read a book, browse the library, write a book review or work on their projects. Find out what they are up to below:

Year Five

Jess, Sareem, Daisy, Caleb, Florence and Sophia are reading 'Darwin's Dragons' by Lindsay Galvin. The book is a piece of historical fiction detailing Charles Darwin's expedition on the HMS Beagle around the Galapagos Islands. The book introduces readers to the theory of evolution in a whirlwind adventure featuring dragons, a shipwreck and a young Queen Victoria. During their meetings, Reading Champions will take part in quizzes, discuss and review their text, engage in further research and plan their end of term project. 

Year Six

Aishwarya, Hebe, Aiden, Charlie and Beau are reading a selection of chapter and picture books this term. They will be reading new texts each week to prepare for the end of term Reading Quiz they will be holding across the school. They will be preparing their own questions, drawing upon contemporary and classic children's literature to cover a broad range of texts and genres. The Year 6 Reading Champions will also be sharing some of their favourite texts they have read this term with all year groups, visiting classes and reading extracts that they think best capture the magic of their chosen stories.

Reading Champions' Assembly

At the end of each term, Reading Champions lead the Reading Champions' end of term assembly, sharing the books they have been reading with the pupils at Southborough. 

The end of term assembly is an opportunity for Reading Champions to promote reading for pleasure, share their ideas and 'bring a book to life' through their creative projects. 

Term 1 Reading Champions' Assembly Video: Cli-Fi

Term 2 Reading Champions' Assembly Video: Black History

Term 3 Reading Champions' Assembly Video: Literature in Translation

Term 4 Reading Champions' Assembly Video: Experiences of Refugees and Migrants

Term 5 Reading Champions' Assembly Video: African Tales