Writers available to work in schools

In order to make it easy for schools to get in touch with writers, NAWE maintains the artscape directory of those who are experienced in educational work. Not only writers but other artists and organizations are included. All regions are covered and many more artists and organizations are currently being added.

We ensure that all individuals who are available for work in schools have Enhanced Disclosure checks. You will also find two references from previous employers published as part of each directory entry. Search artscape, or register as a writer.

In promoting the work of writers in schools, NAWE has been part of the Writing Together partnership that included Booktrust, The Poetry Society, QCA, DfES and the National Strategies.  Writing Together enabled a significant expansion in our work, developing new opportunities in a variety of genres such as screenwriting, science writing, travel writing and autobiography. The formal partnership concluded with a celebratory event in May 2007, but a vital legacy of Writing Together is the three-year Writers in Schools Research Programme being run by NAWE with funding from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

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StorySpinner is a programme within which writers work with schools remotely, online. Piloted by Teesside University together with Creative Partnerships in the Teesside and Nottingham regions, it is now more widely available, via NAWE. It offers an original alternative to the conventional writer's visit, and makes an appealing and productive link between IT and English studies. There is a small pool of trained writers available for this work, and any school interested in becoming involved should contact the NAWE office. Schools already registered can book a writer and proceed with their project directly.

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NAWE is involved with various initiatives enabling trainee teachers to work with writers and to have confidence in working on creative writing in the classroom. We recently ran a conference for MLA Yorkshire (Museums Libraries and Archives Council) at the National Railway Museum. The 'Literature Matters' conference aimed to promote an awareness of books, reading, literature and libraries to initial teacher trainees. It focused on ways of working with writers and other artists, publishers and literature organizations to enrich cross-curricular teaching and learning.

NAWE member Alan Gibbons writes about the project: "The work that is being carried out by library professionals through the Literature Matters Yorkshire project is building the capacity of trainee teachers to encourage reading for enjoyment and the development of oracy through books. Librarians can work in tandem with trainee teachers to transform children's literacy through real affection for the spoken and written word."

An account of the event is published in the Summer edition of Writing in Education (No. 39).

If you as a writer or teacher have recently been involved with a writing project in the classroom, and which you feel would be of interest to others, please let us have your report and/or any creative work by the pupils to be showcased on this site. Please email text and any images to Paul Munden.

Read about Meg Harper's work with Warwickshire Museums & Libraries.

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