Matt’s sessions really enthused the children and gave them the confidence to perform (even in a whole school assembly!) All children were able to succeed." - , Michelle Rogers, Deputy Head, All Saints Primary School, Gorton, Manchester KS2 Assembly - Matt’s unique performance style means that children will be engaged from the moment he begins - witty, warm and humorous, Matt begins sessions by playing warm up games that get children into a ‘poetic frame of mind.’ The children will write a class poem together and will then go on to innovate on a model poem which Matt provides, ending the session with brand-new piece of writing that can continue to be developed with the class teacher. As the sessions progress, Matt will provide the teacher with hints and tips as to how to integrate poetry into the classroom in an interesting and engaging way. Children will have the chance to perform their work at the end of the session. When your ‘hard to reach’ boys are searching for Matt, notebooks in hand, to show him their poetry compositions, you know he’s getting something right. Matt’s poetry and personal anecdotes make for an inspirational day! The outcome of the sessions will be children will have memorised and performed their own version of one of Matt’s poems – everything that the new National Curriculum expects your children to be able to do!! These sessions are also great for schools to continue to develop their performance poetry by setting up termly Poetry Assemblies where each year group performs their poems, allowing children to demonstrate their learning!

I think children need to be exposed to poetry in school on a daily basis. This allows them to understand that poetry does an infinite amount of things - and one of the brilliant things poets can do is tell their story in their own voice. Children need to know that they can do the same; they can be proud of their accents and the way they talk; they can write about their own life - and celebrate it, for all the happiness, sadness and strangeness this world brings. And they can do it with the words already in their heads.The Promoter accepts no responsibility for winners not receiving the prize before stated publication date due to prize unavailability from the publisher, technical issue resulting in a delay from the publisher, or for any other reason. Bestselling author Alexandra Christo, author of TikTok sensation To Kill a Kingdom, introduces her new book, The Night Hunt (Hot Key Books), a dark... Matt is a brilliantly engaging performer who enthuses and inspires children." - Rachel Jacques, Head Teacher, Bowker Vale Primary School, Manchester

From the minute Matt walked into our school there was a buzz of excitement. He engaged every single pupil in the workshops and encouraged them all to step into the fascinating world of poetry. Pupils and staff loved the day and were left with great ideas, inspiration and a real feel good factor. In this story of hope and endurance, we follow a scientist and her team during their search for the elusive 'Giant Arctic Jellyfish'.The techniques that Matt teaches during the writing sessions are adaptable, and means that children (and teachers!) will be able to apply the skills learnt to any topic they are studying – cross-curricular writing is easy with poetry! Details Preferred age range: I think it's so important that all children see themselves reflected in literature. I want those children that are living through the same things that I did to know they're not alone - and that all is not lost. David Almond introduces his new picture book, A Way to the Stars, a story about perseverance and finding a way to make dreams come true.

PRAISE FOR BRIGHT BURSTS OF COLOUR: Whether you need cheering up, a sympathetic ear or something funnier or more thought-provoking, you'll find plenty in this poetry collection for every occasion and mood. * BookTrust * PRAISE FOR BRIGHT BURSTS OF COLOUR: Matt Goodfellow is a fresh voice on the children's poetry scene. * Pie Corbett *See if you can find a poem within the collection that contains a pattern - for example a repeated line - steal that pattern and push your life onto it. Change the repeated line to something you want to say - and then you move from imitation to innovation and create something brand new. The children will work together in small groups to put these techniques into practice by deciding on how best to perform poems – discussing rhythm, use of voice, expression, actions etc.

The prizes are non-transferable and there are no cash alternatives, and are subject to availability. The Promoter reserves the right to amend the specification of the prize or offer an alternative prize. In exceptional circumstances, the Promoter reserves the right to foreclose the competition without notice. An inspirational session, delivered with such energy. The children produced some fabulous pieces of poetry. Within the collection are poems about the here and now, and children facing difficult family situations. Why is it important to you to include those poems as well? It's extremely important for me, because I was that child struggling with the chaos of a difficult family situation - one that left me feeling I wasn't anybody's priority. Because I was naturally quite clever, and could be funny, and wasn't bad at sports, my primary and high school teachers just assumed I was OK. I wasn't - and nobody ever told me there was a space called poetry where I could just write down all the madness in my head as a way of trying to make sense of things. Matt will perform some of his poems and discuss with children the techniques needed to create successful performances.

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The Promoter accepts no responsibility for entries that are incomplete, illegible, incorrect, corrupted or fail to reach the Promoter by the closing date for any reason. Automatically generated entries or entries via third parties are invalid and shall not be considered. I could enthuse about this collection for hours - but the best thing is for others to enjoy it for themselves. A couple of my favourites are 'The Democratic Republic of Me' and 'The River' - you might like to start there! Author Anna Kemp introduces The Hollow Hills, the sequel to her dark magical tale, Into Goblyn Wood.