Tuesday November 19th 2024

Dear Diary,

I’m so glad the snow didn’t interfere with my plans for today, as my visit to Great Oldbury Primary Academy was an absolute treat. This school is only a few years old and is beautifully designed, with an emphasis on light and space. But as well as being equipped with all the mod cons and boasting a great outdoor environment, it’s also filled with a whole host of incredibly creative and talented pupils! After my assembly, I followed the Reception pupils into the studio for their workshop. Given that I’ve been doing more sessions for younger pupils lately, I thought it would be a good idea to come up with a few new activities. The Reception pupils today seemed to really enjoy my letter tracing sheet, with sentences all about Uncle John. It was hard to believe that these pupils have only been at the school since September, though, given their impressive dexterity and motor skills. Their pictures of Uncle John were super, too! Next on the agenda was a workshop for Year 1, and once again I was astounded by the capability of each of the pupils. Especially Alara, who somehow managed to write four whole pages of a story in no time! After lunch, I moved from the studio into classrooms, beginning with Year 2. There were some super stories across the board, and the pupils in this Year Group were speedy workers, leaving plenty of time for questions at the end of the session. We spoke a bit about the process of editing — and how important it is to re-read your work after writing it. We also talked about the determination and perseverance required to become an author. I finished the day off with a workshop for Year 3. This was a smaller group, due to the fact that they were the first intake at the school (as Reception pupils) when it opened in 2021. Once again, there were lots of questions for me as they finished up their work. Especially about writing, and how to go about getting a book published. It seems there are quite a number of aspiring authors in Years 2 and 3, which doesn’t surprise me, given the quality of their work today. Helen and all the staff were fantastic today. And each and every child behaved beautifully and worked so dilligently. Lots of them received certificates. But to be honest… EVERYONE deserved one. I hope they all carry on dreaming and believing, as I have no doubt they WILL all achieve! And I hope to see them all next year with WARNING: May Contain Dragons.