A poem for you!
One of our main focuses as a school over the past few years has been to increase the engagement of families and the local community with our school reading culture. We’ve used several strategies, all non-threatening, simple and accessible to everybody.
Perhaps the most successful idea we’ve introduced has been Moorlands Poetry Post, which we link to our ongoing work on empathy. All the children write out and decorate one of their favourite poems; it could be one of their own or one from a poet whose work they enjoy. They then put the poems into an envelope, along with a short note from the school explaining the idea. Each class walks around the village, posting their poems through different letterboxes.
Within hours, we’ve normally received several emails, tweets and Facebook messages of thanks from the recipients. It’s a really simple way to include local residents in the life of our school.
Jon Biddle, Y5/6 teacher and English co-ordinator
