English extra -curricular

Hay on Wye review (word .doc)

Educational visits undertaken by the English Department.

Hay-on-Wye Literature Festival 2004 – fifteen Year 7 pupils went to see Jaqueline Wilson and Malorie Blackman talking at the famous festival described by Bill Clinton as “the Woodstock of the mind” (www.hayfestival.co.uk).

Storyquest 2004 – fifty year 7 pupils went to St David’s Hall in Cardiff to famous writers such as Benjamin Zephaniah, Michael Morpurgo and Jaqueline Wilson talk. Storyquest is a touring festival of stories and stor

ytelling to inspire reading and writing in children at the beginning of secondary school (www.storyquest.org.uk).

National Theatre – Forty eight Year 7, 8 and 9 pupils visited the National Theatre (www.nationaltheatre.org.uk) in London to see the His Dark Materials trilogy based on the work of the same name by Philip Pullman (www.philip-pullman.com).

National Poetry Day 2005 – (www.poetrysociety.org.uk) twenty four pupils in Year 7 visited Blackwood Miner’s Institute to see a performance by the famous performance poet, John Hegley. Hegley performed work from his book I am a Potato, a poetic intervention for the younger generation (www.johnhegley.co.uk).

In addition, two pupils from Year 9 were chosen to visit a workshop held by the poet Robert Minhinnick in Blackwood Comprehensive school (www.contemporarywriters.com).