Busy week packed with literary events at Wisbech Academy

There will be no chance of students at a Wisbech school missing a literary theme this week when the written word will be taking centre stage.
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The Thomas Clarkson Academy will be encouraging all 1,298 students to take part in National Poetry Day on Thursday and also join an initiative to stop what they are doing and take ten minutes to pick-up a book on Friday.

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It is also Libraries Week and students can leave a heart shaped Post-It note on a special display in the school library and complete the sentence “I love my library because …”

Organised by The Library and Information Association, the national week is used to highlight the resources available at local libraries around the country and how important the facilities are to communities.

“We have a fantastic library here at Thomas Clarkson Academy, but we also want to remind students and their families that Cambridgeshire libraries are also excellent. The in-person loans are fully back at Wisbech and there are brilliant free and online services which can be accessed from home,” said Leanne Robinson, school librarian.

Students are also being encouraged to write their own poem, in any style they choose, for National Poetry Day on Thursday and they can win a signed copy of a novel by former Children’s Laureate Chris Riddell.

On Friday Author Louisa Reid will be hosting a virtual event for secondary schools as part of the Take 10 initiative and pupils at Thomas Clarkson Academy will be among those taking part.

“It’s a great way to encourage all our students to pick up a book and lose themselves for ten minutes during a busy week. Just ten minutes of reading every day will improve literacy skills and support mental wellbeing,” said Lucy Howes, English teacher and school literacy coordinator.

As a reading school, all students in Key Stage 3 are required to have a book in their pocket every day and all students will be carrying books on Friday as part of the event, organised by the National Literacy Trust.