Edward Feild Primary School opens new forest-themed library
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Edward Feild Primary School has officially opened a brand-new, forest-themed library, replacing a 30-year-old facility with a modern 'Woodland Reading Sanctuary.' The project's success was due to a massive community fundraising mission during the National Year of Reading 2026, raising money by organising 'colour runs', bake sales, and generous local donations.
Award-winning local author and patron of the Oxfordshire Book Awards, Jo Cotterill, joined
the school for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The new space houses 2,500 books and features
a 'forest school' aesthetic designed to help children escape into their reading.
Addressing the pupils, Jo Cotterill spoke of the magic found within the shelves: "This new library is so cheerful! A library was always my safe place; there is something truly special about being in one. The fact that you can borrow books for free and read them is simply amazing. In a library, you can go on adventures that you can’t go on in real life - you might not come out the same person who went in."
Jo delighted the children by sharing a story she wrote when she was just six years old about 'Chismas', before reading from her first published book, Moondance, the tale of a tiger told he is too little. She kindly donated a copy of Moondance to the new library along with her 56th and latest book, The Pony Whisperer, co-written with a YouTube producer and horse expert.
Headteacher Mr Scott Lewis expressed his gratitude during the corridor assembly: "This isn't just a room with books; it’s a sanctuary. I want to say a huge thank you to Jo Cotterill for inspiring us today, and to the Friends of Edward Feild. We owe so much to our volunteers, who helped us achieve the impossible by getting this all done in just 12 days.Our children, via the School Council, decided exactly what this library would look like and which books we should stock. Finally, a massive thank you to our staff, Miss Menham and Mr Tupling - Chris has worked tirelessly to sort every detail and make this dream a reality."
Assistant Headteacher, Mr Chris Tupling added: "The woodland theme was a deliberate choice to bring the calming, imaginative benefits of forest school indoors. In a year where we are celebrating the joy of reading nationally, this library provides the perfect environment for our pupils to develop a lifelong love of literature."