School Visits (Primary, Secondary, Special, Colleges)
Face-to-Face Visits
Depending on your needs, my poetry writing workshops and performances and are ideal for:
mixed classes
longer, in-depth Poetry Masterclasses for the more talented students
shorter literacy boosters run as one-offs or over time
whole-school, Key Stage, year group or smaller assembly performances
carpet readings for EYFS
whole-day poetry slams and poetry writing competitions (I’ll organise them, help with the judging and offer books as prizes)
'Meet the Poet/Author' Q&As
residencies lasting a few weeks, terms or longer
special days and events e.g. National Poetry Day, World Poetry Day, World Book Day, activity/enrichment days, family learning days, transition projects etc
presentation skills workshops for e.g. formal presentations, job/college interviews
staff Insets.
Virtual Visits
If you’re a long way from London and the South East, you might wish to book me for virtual workshops, performances/Q&As. Offering shortened versions of most things I provide above, I run these sessions worldwide from my office via Zoom, Google, MS Teams etc. As with face-to-face visits, everyone has different requirements so please email me and together we can start to shape your events. Check my reasonable prices here.
The Literacy Lead at Gospel Oak Primary School, London said: “Thank you so much for the performance this morning; we really enjoyed it and thought that it worked really well. It was just what they all [the children] needed.”
A Leicester-based mental health community worker, after a series of virtual writing workshops I staged with her group of teens, said: “That was wonderful! It was an excellent session, thank you so much. ‘D’ and ‘T’ really enjoyed it and were singing your praises.”
Benefits
Mixed classes, EAL, SEND, more talented, creative or reluctant readers/writers, low confidence students, parents/families etc will:
improve literacy, creativity, self-expression, confidence, performance and presentation skills
have fun with words and language through my accessible style and approach
be encouraged to love books and reading
develop poetry styles and structures
experience meeting an award-winning performance poet and author.
Poetry Styles and Themes
All the poetry styles I use in my writing workshops are my own as I don’t wish to duplicate any styles teachers might have already studied with their classes.
I will also encourage participants to use a range of `language tools' when writing their poems to develop literacy skills e.g. metaphors, similes, alliteration, onomatopoeia, adjectives, adverbs, synonyms, personification, senses etc.
My poem writing workshop themes cover an endless range of fun and serious topics e.g. Superheroes, Sports inc Football, War & Peace, Emotions, Food, Dreams & Nightmares, London, If..., Music, the Moon Landing, Animals, Books & Book Characters, Self-Identity, Respect, The Elements, My Favourite Place, Colours, Transport, Weather - in fact any theme you can think of!
In my performance workshops I encourage teachers and children to select age-appropriate poems from my own massive range of material on this site, in my books or I am happy to use poems written by the children themselves or other authors.
Poetry Writing Workshop Outline
I read/perform my own poems – many interactive
I provide poetry writing tips
I outline poems for students to write on a given theme
I sometimes model an example poem or part of a poem, depending on students’ needs
students plan and brainstorm poem words and ideas with me
students write poems
the importance of editing
students edit poems
performance tips from me
participants perform/share poems
Q&A, time permitting
I close with a poem
FAQs
Also see Price & Details
Q: How many pupils per workshop? A: One class per workshop is best for face-to-face visits with less for more needy pupils. I can work with many classes at once during virtual visits.
Q: How long is each workshop? A: Usually 45-60 mins for face-to-face visits, depending on age and ability OR all-day for my Masterclasses. Virtual sessions are for 45 mins.
Q: Do you work with EYFS? A: Yes – twenty minute 'on carpet' readings for the youngest ones
Q: Do you work with 6th forms? A: Yes
Q: Do you perform on whole-school and whole-year assemblies? A: Yes – and in each workshop.
Q: What do you need for face-to-face visits? A: Pens, paper, board/flip chart and possibly a mic/PA for very large auditoriums or outdoor work. Although I have a current cleared DBS and comprehensive public liability insurance, a staff member should be present at all times for safeguarding purposes.