I visited Barnoldswick in 2016 and had a marvellous time, so it was great to be invited back.
After driving through some really snowy conditions, I kicked off the morning with an author assembly. The children discovered how the books were created. I talked through the writing/editing process and even showed the children the illustrations in the early stages. I couldn’t resist putting on the storytelling waistcoat to share an Impossible Tale to finish the session. The pupils listened really well and it was a fab forty minutes.
Next up was a writing session with the Year 5 pupils. We looked at ‘showing not telling’ and tried to create a character that could slot into one of the Tales. The pupils pulled apart my writing and developed a plan for their character. It was a fast-paced session and the children were a joy to work with.
The final part of the morning took place in Year 6 where I repeated the characterisation writing workshop. The pupils worked their socks off and the ideas they generated were fab. I finished the morning buzzing with writing energy!
It was lovely to catch some of the pupils at lunchtime to chat a little more and sign some books.
I’d like to thank Mrs Ellis for inviting me back to Barnoldswick. I thoroughly enjoyed my morning and hope to return again some time in the future.