The School Library Association Weekend Course 2025 takes place on 6th – 7th June 2024 in Northampton. The theme for this year is Breaking Barriers: Freedom to Learn.

Participants can choose from a range of talks by authors, academics and expert practitioners exploring the different barriers to learning and effective strategies to support young people to become independent readers and learners.

Speakers and workshops for the 2025 conference include:

• Keynote Speakers: Anne Fine,Tom Percival, Anthony McGowan and Bali Rai.
• Lightening Talks: Winning over reluctant readers.
• Freedom to Learn: Supporting students to become independent learners.
• Taking Ownership of Your Library with Bridget Hamlet, Schools Librarian of the Year 2023.
• Freedom to Read: Middle grade fiction with authors Lucy Ann Unwin, Anthony Kissel, Peter Burns and Hannah Gold.
• High Impact Library Projects
• Freedom to Stretch and Challenge with NACE (National Association for Able Children in Education).
• Freedom to Read YA – Why Me? with authors Tasneem Abdur-Rashid, Steward Foster and Sara Barnard.
• Freedom to Read Your Way with World Book Day.

Cost: £230/£320 ex VAT for SLA members/free members for both days. Single day tickets also available.

About the School Library Association:  The School Library Association (SLA) is a not-for-profit organisation that supports schools to develop their school library, establish a reading culture and deliver independent learning skill in order to help all children and young people fulfil their potential.  In addition, the SLA undertakes research into the benefits of school library provision and campaigns for all schools in the UK to have their own (or shared) staffed library.