Yesterday I had the pleasure of working with 30 Year 8 pupil premium pupils at Abington Academy in Wigston, Leicester. It was a full day workshop and I feared they would tire, especially as one or two of them had confessed to me that they hated writing! I couldn’t have been more wrong. The morning went slowly, because everyone was so interested and asking loads of questions. They applied themselves with energy and enthusiasm and had loads of fun doing the interviews and being mock reporters. A big shout out to pupil premium co-ordinator Louise Claricoates who had really got in the swing of it and provided press badges which they loved wearing and really got in the part. I had to award a certificate for best dressed journalist at the end as one young man even came in a trilby with a space for a pencil!
The workshop ended with the students writing an article about their school merging with the school next door in September of this year. The schools are rivals at the moment and the children needed to be careful to keep their articles positive. Some of them even walked around the school during their lunch break getting quotes from students and staff… that’s dedication!
I came away having thoroughly enjoyed the day. One young man interviewed me! He wanted to write an article about me, and has promised he will email it to me. Unfortunately we couldn’t photograph faces because of permission issues, but I did take a few pictures of backs of heads!
Since this workshop these young writers have inspired me to have press passes designed,and they’ve gone down a bomb!
