Congratulations to the winners of this year’s School Library Association Awards. Together, the three awards celebrate the vital role of school libraries and recognise the achievements and outstanding practice of librarians and library teams around the country.

Author and screenwriter Anthony Horowitz presented the awards at a ceremony held at the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education on Thursday 6th November. In his opening address, Horowitz stressed the importance of celebrating school libraries and the vital contribution they make to school communities: ‘I have done a lot of school visits in my career and I can tell the tenor of the school library as soon as I walk into a school – it is there in the faces of the children, in the conversations in the halls and in the artwork on the walls. I have said this before, and I will say it many times again: the library is the beating heart of the school.’

The Secondary School Librarian of the Year Award is the SLA’s flagship award. In this, its 20th anniversary year, the award was presented to Julie Broadbent from Northampton International Academy for her work creating a culture of positivity where reading is actively and consistently celebrated. Open every day, including during social times, Julie has developed the school library into a welcoming safe space, housing a diverse collection that reflects the whole school community. Student-led assemblies advocating for the importance of reading, book groups and giveaways, mean the impact of Julie’s work extends far beyond the library walls.
The award judges also commended Julie’s initiative in building partnerships within the wider community, working collaboratively with both the local Public Library and the University of Northampton to maximise reading for pleasure and study skills opportunities for the large numbers of students she supports. Through her work, Julie offers her students new experiences, encouraging them to unlock their potential, to access new ways of seeing the world and to become independent, confident learners.

Accepting her award, Julie said: ‘This is such an honour. I have been a school librarian for 25 years and this is the pinnacle of my career. The amazing thing about the school library is that for every single child who walks through the door, I can turn to them and say: “I’ve got something just for you!” Every child should have access to books, no matter where they are from, because we know the power of those books. Thank you – keep fighting the good fight; for money and for your voices to be heard, because what we do as school librarians is really, really important.’
The Peter Usborne Primary School Library of the Year celebrates a library team that works together to ensure their school library positively impacts all the pupils in their primary school. This year’s winner is Mangotsfield C of E Primary School in Bristol. Led by librarian Verity Robinson, the newly renovated library with its diverse and inclusive collection of books has led to a transformation of the school’s reading culture, helping every child to see themselves as a reader.

The award judges commented, ‘The Library and Librarian at Mangotsfield truly demonstrates what a Primary School can achieve when enabled by the senior leadership team and whole school community. By employing a dedicated, and experienced Librarian, the school has elevated Reading for Pleasure across the pupil experience as well as the staff body, contributing to everyone’s confidence around books.’

Thomas A’Becket Infant School in West Sussex was declared the winner of this year’s Enterprise of the Year Award for a one-off project in the life of the library. Their renovation of the school library was a community-driven project that has resulted in a welcoming and inspiring environment that perfectly reflects its pupils’ needs. The library is name The Shore in tribute to Teaching Assistant Miss Emily Shaw, who passed away suddenly at the start of 2024.

Accepting the award, Deputy Head Collette Wade said: ‘Creating The Shore was a project that truly united us – the love, kindness and contributions that we found in our local community was amazing. It was all about the children. We kept the library project completely secret from our pupils and it was incredible to see the children’s faces when they walked into the space for the first time. The legacy of this project will live on.’

Commenting on this year’s awards, SLA CEO Victoria Dilly said: ‘It is a huge privilege to host these awards and I speak for everyone at the School Library Association when I say how proud we are to be able to recognise the contribution of school librarians and library teams to their communities. The SLA Awards are an investment in advocacy – recognising and championing the work of school librarians and schools who have sought to deliver amazing provision through the school library.

The work of all our 2025 nominees is invaluable. The support they offer to children and young people will make to huge difference to their lives and they are all deserving of the recognition that being a part of the SLA Awards should bring.’