Picture the Poet: Schools programme

Working in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, the schools programme for Picture the Poet underpins the touring exhibition with a wealth of supported activity in each of the six regions:

• Teacher CPD days that focus on creative literacy planning for the KS2 and 3 classroom.
• Resource pack brimming with practical lesson plans, tried and tested project starters, poems, portraits and links to recommended poetry practitioners.
• School exhibition visits – including workshops, self guided activities & ‘Meet the Poet’ days.
• Regional Picture the Poet literacy coordinator for support back in school.

The emphasis across the whole programme is on inspiring teachers and pupils with accessible routes into writing poems and getting excited by poetry and portraiture, and the training uses an active commissioning model to support teacher’s bespoke planning and schemes of work.

‘Can I thank you for the insight into the joys of poetry! I have already used the activities we practiced during the session and feel a lot more confident about delivering poetry in Year 5.’
Teacher, Great Yarmouth Academy, Norfolk

This short film profiles the Picture the Poet schools programme and features poet Ian McMillan and pupils visiting the Picture the Poet exhibition at Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery in Carlisle.

Monks Abbey Primary School were among those invited to the Usher Gallery in Lincoln to take part in an interactive poetry workshop run by poet Ian McMillan.

Listen to pupils Hannah and Jamila’s interview with Ian on the Young Journalist Academy website.

School pupils participated in a workshop organised by the National Literacy Trust around Picture the Poet with BBC Voices based at the Forum Norwich. Young people were able to record their written poems.