Students from Year 11 literacy classes took part in a fantastic SEARCH Day trip to Cambridge University to attend the ‘First Story Young Writer’s Festival’. As well as taking part in some creative writing workshops (some of the work from which can be seen below), students listened to a talk from famous Author, Mark Haddon, who wrote ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, which the students read in Year 9.
“Blood was dripping. All I did was try to break up a fight. As soon as I turned around, a hungry ball thirsty for blood viciously hit me in my face. I was dazed, numb even. My emotions were blank like the white snow on a winter’s day. “Are you alright” a voice said full of panic. His eyes were fearful. The next thing I knew a pair of strong arms were dragging me into an ambulance.” – Jaiden Peart
“I was travelling across my mother’s bed to get to the nearest wall. In my hand I held two pencils. One red and one blue. Eventually, I made it to a creamish white wall (my mum hadn’t realised as she had dozed off). Before I knew it, my mind had transformed this wall in to paper, and my body was ready to draw something that only my brain could see. The outcome was rubbish. The she woke up! Quickly trying her head to check where I was and if I was safe. Then, she saw my hand holding the two pencils and in one quick eye movement towards the wall she saw what I had done. “Keziah!” she said in a shocked tone…but she liked it and since then I have started to draw more and more often. As I have gotten older, my scribbles as a baby have turned into art” – Keziah Effie.
The students really enjoyed the day and we at Heartlands look forward to working with First Story throughout this year, ready to publish the very first Heartlands creative writing anthology in the Spring Term.
Andrew Lloyd
Teacher i/c Literacy
