Writing for enjoyment in secondary schools
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Writing for enjoyment in secondary schools

Working with writing professionals to build confidence & skills with secondary students

By The English Association

Date and time

Thu, 12 Jun 2025 08:45 - 09:30 PDT

Location

Online

About this event

  • Event lasts 45 minutes

Bringing writing professionals into the classroom offers opportunity for students to engage with writing in new ways and overcome barriers to enjoyment of writing creatively. First Story’s Young Writers Programme brings professional writers into the classroom to deliver a hands-on creative intervention, developing students’ writing skills and confidence to discuss and share their work. This session will include a creative activity which can be easily transferred to a classroom setting along with discussion of working with creative professionals within the wider context of whole school literacy.

Emma Kirkham is an Assistant Headteacher at Trinity Church of England High School, Manchester. Emma has responsibility for Teaching and Learning, Literacy, Pupil Premium and SEN.

Ben Mellor is an award-winning writer, performer and facilitator who has worked in theatres, festivals, schools, colleges and prisons nationally and internationally.

First Story Young Writers Programme provides a hands-on intensive creative intervention for low-confidence writers in Key Stage 3 – 5. Over 16 weeks of group creative writing workshops, students benefit from encouragement to develop writing skills and the resilience to write at length. Supported with techniques to help with planning, editing and proofreading, they gain opportunities to explore and share their own unique voice. A professionally published anthology of students’ work and showcase opportunities builds their confidence to discuss and share work. National regional events and competitions offer wider school enrichment opportunities.

Tags

Organised by

The English Association

The English Association is both a subject association and a learned society, with a large portfolio of publications, an ambitious events programme, and a long history of engagement with national and international bodies concerned with the development of English in schools, colleges, universities, and the wider community. Since its foundation in 1906, the English Association has helped to shape the discipline of English and continues to do this today.

The English Association provides a welcoming and diverse community for anyone involved with English studies: educators, writers, librarians, advisors, students, researchers, teacher-trainers, publishers, literary agents, and others. As a subject association and learned society which spans every level of education and every branch of the subject, the English Association is an ideal home for people who want to keep abreast of developments right across the discipline.

Membership of the English Association will give you access to cutting-edge research and high-quality teaching resources; enable you to attend timely, relevant and action-focused professional development events; and provide a route to participation in national and international debates about the teaching and learning of English language, literature and creative writing.

It will bring you into contact with people from other institutions and other sectors of education and enhance both your professional life and your personal enjoyment of English through collaboration, community, and shared knowledge.

FreeJun 12 · 08:45 PDT