Author visits Corby primaries

The visit formed part of the Loving Reading Festival, a four-week initiative of Greenwood Academies Trust aimed at improving literacy skills and inspiring a greater love of reading amongst pupils across its 24 primary academies.

The Loving Reading Festival, sponsored by education communications consultancy, PLMR, has engaged over 8,000 pupils in a variety of reading activities designed to promote a love of reading such as role play areas, creative reading corners, and introducing pupils to contemporary and popular authors.

During his visit, Paul performed a collection of his poems and provided insight into his writing process and the various places he draws inspiration from. As a National Reading Hero, Paul also encouraged pupils to persevere with their reading to improve other subjects and offer an enjoyable creative outlet.

Andrew Clarke, Senior Education Adviser at Greenwood Academies Trust, said: “It has been incredibly rewarding to see our primary pupils embrace reading with such enthusiasm during our Loving Reading Festival, and welcoming Paul to our primary academies this week was a great opportunity to expand our pupils experience with reading and writing to include different styles such as poetry.”

Paul Cookson, author and poet, said: “Writing my first poem at the age of seven, and now as a professional poet and author, reading and writing has played a central role in my life.

“It brings me great joy to instil this same passion amongst the next generation of creative writers and it was amazing to see the pupils at Hazel Leys Academy and Kingswood Primary Academy so enthusiastic about reading, writing, and poetry.”

Wayne Norrie, Chief Executive of Greenwood Academies Trust said: “As a Trust, we take great pride in, and are committed to, developing the skills that are vital for our pupils’ success, and literacy is a key focus area across our academies.

“It has been inspiring to see our Loving Reading Festival so warmly embraced by our school community, with pupils and staff proactively engaging with a range of activities that not only promote a love of reading but also support an inclusive, creative, and rich learning environment.”