Poet James Nash visits Weetwood Primary School

Individual Achievement was the theme for this series of poetry workshops led by local published poet James Nash, ably supported by Headingley LitFest associate Rachel Harkess and working with class 5.  And achieve they did!  James used a child's rather battered-looking head, carrying stains and scratches.  What could have happened to the youngster?

 "The children were really engaged in the project and their enthusiasm was brilliant" (Class Teacher)

              Anna Ellison (Year 5 teacher) with James Nash

As class teacher Anna Ellison said, “James and Rachel's relationships with the children was brilliant.  They were able to support the children, whatever their ability.  And the children were so engaged in the project.  They have learnt more about editing and improving their work – how to take the first draft and craft it with more descriptive language, using their own ideas.  Enthusiastic?  Absolutely!  We love this work with James and Rachel.  Please can we do it again?”

“Poems don't have to rhyme!”

“You get good feedback about your ideas.”

“I loved writing the poem and talking about it.”

“You can use emotions and describe feelings in poems.”

“ You can put a question and then answer it in a poem.”

“It was good to listen to different writing.”

“You can write about so many things.”

“How fun it is to work with James.”

“You can learn from your work and others can learn too.”

And perhaps two comments sum up what was the general feeling:

“What I like about this is that it gives me inspiration to write more stories and stuff.”

-->

“I enjoyed EVERYTHING!!”

Funded by your local ward councillors of the Inner North West Community Committee