Now that I have a base in Manchester, it was great to be able to spend 2 days in Vale View Primary School in Stockport, just up the road, for National Poetry Day. This is a large school and on the first day I worked with the older children (KS2) and on National Poetry day the younger children (KS1).

Both days started with a performance and then I visited every class in turn doing class poems set to music with the youngest, and assisting the older children to work on individual poems.  The entire school was writing poetry, and at the end of each day we got together again and children performed their poems for each other. It was also a thrill to go into one class that was already watching my ‘Puddles in the Playground‘ video on YouTube that they had found themselves.

Thanks to Louise Pearson, who co-ordinated my visit, and was very kind to email after to say that she’d had loads of great feedback from staff and children, and her class loved having me in.