Wednesday November 20th 2024

Dear Diary,

WOW! What a phenomenal day!!! I set off in the dark this morning, to ensure I arrived at Tidbury Green in Solihull for my visit with time to spare. From the second I arrived, I sensed a real buzz of excitement in the air, and I was immediately approached by a number of pupils who were eager to get involved as helpers or volunteers during my visit. Everyone sat beautifully and listened attentively during my morning assembly, with so many pupils putting their hands up to ask or answer questions. And they were just as eager to participate in the workshops I ran throughout the day, coming up with some super work… and depleting my stash of certificates in no time! With slightly shorter than normal workshops today — and groups of around 60 at a time — I wasn’t sure how much we’d manage to fit into each session. But not only did everyone launch straight into each of the activities I had planned, lots of them also got to read their work aloud to the rest of their Year Group, which is always a real treat. The behaviour and dilligence of every single Year Group impressed me. And it was lovely to hear from the teachers that some of the pupils who excelled today were those who wouldn’t normally get stuck into written work. There were too many stand-out stories for me to mention them all. But I especially loved all of the collaborations. Giving the pupils a chance to work together and share ideas with one another seems to really get the creative juices flowing. Ben’s first-class organisation meant my visit ran like a dream! And the staff were so helpful during the workshops and assisting me in deciding who to present certificates to. I thoroughly enjoyed spending one-on-one time with so many of the Tidbury Green pupils today, whilst they read their stories to me, told me about their own dreams of becoming authors, or asked questions. And I couldn’t believe how many of them purchased a copy of my book! I hope it doesn’t disappoint. I was so thrilled to hear that Scarlett had already finished reading it, and I loved that her favourite part was… oh, no… hang on… I’d better not give that away, as it will spoil the story for everyone else!