Useful links: Finding a writer for a visit
Apples & Snakes - http://www.applesandsnakes.org/
Apples & Snakes promote performance poetry, support artists and provide poets to work in schools around London and offer training to teachers to develop their confidence and creativity in teaching poetry. Sessions can be tailored to suit the schools’ needs. Teachers’ resources can also be found on their website. Please contact Will on for more details.
Authors Abroad - http://www.authorsabroad.com
Authors Abroad provides school visits throughout the UK, using a hand-picked selection of leading UK Authors, Poets & Illustrators. From storytellers to rapping poets, literature walks, wacky illustrators, and high-flying author presentations, their mission is to provide the highest quality inspirational school visits to enhance and support the quality of education provided in school.
Children’s Discovery Centre - http://www.childrensdiscovery.org.uk
The ‘Children Discovering Books’ programme organises Childrens Writers, Storytellers, Poets and Illustrators to work in primary and secondary schools across all of England. For North, Midlands and SW England email ; for London and the South East email
Kernow Education Arts Partnership - http://www.keap.org.uk
Cornwall-based arts education partnership working with schools and the wider community. It aims to provide support to teachers and creative practitioners and advises schools on working with artists of all disciplines; and supports artists and arts organisations in developing their education work. The website contains regularly updates opportunity listings and case studies of local arts projects. They also provide training for teachers. Contact Jemima Taylor at for more details.
National Association of Writers in Education (NAWE) - http://nawe.co.uk
NAWE supports creative writing in all genres and in all community and education settings and produces online resources, publications and training events. It also features the Artscape directory - http://www.artscape.org.uk - a national directory of writers who work in schools.
National Centre for Language and Literacy - http://www.ncll.org.uk
The Centre supports teachers, parents and governors in a wide range of ways - through a unique collection of resources; publications; an extensive programme of courses and conferences; ongoing research; and a membership scheme designed to meet the needs of individual schools. Schools can find authors, illustrators and storytellers for school visits and projects via the NCLL UK-wide database. Contact Pam Brown on for more details.
New Writing North - http://www.newwritingnorth.com
New Writing North runs education projects and provides support for writers and teachers. It has developed a creative writing course module for teachers that is delivered by The School of English at Newcastle University. The module can be built into school projects so that teachers receive in-depth training whilst projects are running in schools. They also programme and deliver Creative Days for teachers which focus on how best to use creative writing workshop methods in the classroom. Contact Anna on for more details.
New Writing South - http://www.newwritingsouth.com
New Writing South is a new writing organisation based in the South East and open to all creative writers. They provide professional writers to work in schools with students on all aspects of writing, and also offer inset training on a variety of areas, from allowing teachers the space to explore their own creativity to firing up ideas for teaching creative writing, poetry or journalism. The website also has information on opportunities for writers. Contact Beth on for more details.
Once Upon A Story - http://www.onceuponastory.co.uk
There is nothing more valuable than nurturing a love of stories in children to encourage reading, writing and self expression. Once Upon A Story works with primary schools and provides a range of stories as expansive and as culturally diverse as the schools they visit. They provide one-off storytelling performances, all day visits or residencies. They support projects with a focus on literacy, religion, history, myth and culture.
Poetryclass - http://www.poetryclass.net/
Poetryclass, run by the Poetry Society, is the solution for teachers wanting to bring poetry alive in the classroom. A training team of poets, all of whom are highly experienced with work in schools, is available to work with teachers to overcome their problems and concerns with teaching poetry. There is also a very useful online poetry classroom on the website with lots of resources and lesson plans for Key Stages 1 to 4. Inset can be provided throughout England. Contact for more information.
The Windows Project - http://www.windowsproject.demon.co.uk
Liverpool-based project aimed at making poetry fun and improving language and literacy skills. The Windows Project provides writers to work in schools and information, advice and training for writers and teachers. There is a very comprehensive free downloadable handbook for working with poetry in schools also. Contact for more details.
Write On! Adventures in Writing
Write On! Is a Birmingham Book Festival Project that provides continuing professional development training for teachers, currently through their ‘Teachers as Writers’ workshops which are run alongside the Write On programme of writers in schools work. This is also available separately to schools and is focused on alerting teachers to the joys and disciplines of creative writing. For more details please contact Jonathan Davidson on
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