Directors' report 2015
Annual report for the period of NWP activity Jan – Dec 2015.
Top left: January - workshop with students at University of Brighton. Top right: March - Bilborough College A level Creative Writing students
Bottom left: February - Launch of Gloucestershire NWP Bottom right: September - Launch of Luton NWP
Bottom left: February - Launch of Gloucestershire NWP Bottom right: September - Launch of Luton NWP
Publications: in December 2015 ‘Introducing Teachers’ Writing Groups: exploring the theory and practice’ was published by Routledge/NATE. It was co-authored by the founders and directors of the project, Simon Wrigley and Jeni Smith, and is based largely on the first 6 years of its development (2009-2015). The book draws upon the work of all NWP writing groups and includes the voices of many of those who have been involved. Whilst the book draws on evidence across this range, the main focus of the research is the work of the Buckinghamshire TAW group, the UEA Writing Teachers group and the original LATE writing group.
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Keynotes and workshops: 5 keynotes and workshops were given by Simon Wrigley: at Brighton University student teacher conference (Jan 13); at a Teachmeet in Buckingham (Jan 17); at Wokingham Federation (Feb 23); with Jeni Smith at NATE conference, Newcastle (June 27); at Newquay for Cornwall Education – secondary schools (Nov 19). |
Commissioned work and partnerships: NWP directors, Jeni and Simon, were commissioned by AQA to run courses on ‘Developing Confidence in Creative Writing KS3-5’(Manchester, July 15), and by the National Literacy Trust to lead writing workshops for teachers in Stoke, Kensington, Great Yarmouth, Brighton, Darwen and Cradley Heath.
Simon Wrigley was commissioned by Buckinghamshire Learning Trust to lead NWP workshops to support BLT’s ‘Write project’ (Apr 24)
Simon Wrigley was invited to contribute an NWP perspective to the Cardiff University Language Awareness Network (Sept 24)
Simon Wrigley gave the 8th Harold Rosen lecture at NATE conference in Newcastle (June 27). This was later published in NATE’s Teaching English magazine. The full text is available online at nwp.org.uk
Jeni Smith contributed to the UEA/AQA Creative Writing Summer School, August 2015.
Discussions were also held with Becky Swain, education officer of the Arvon Foundation, about the possibility of a joint NWP/Arvon writing teachers’ residential. However, this proved to be financially beyond the scope of NWP at the time.
Simon Wrigley was commissioned by Buckinghamshire Learning Trust to lead NWP workshops to support BLT’s ‘Write project’ (Apr 24)
Simon Wrigley was invited to contribute an NWP perspective to the Cardiff University Language Awareness Network (Sept 24)
Simon Wrigley gave the 8th Harold Rosen lecture at NATE conference in Newcastle (June 27). This was later published in NATE’s Teaching English magazine. The full text is available online at nwp.org.uk
Jeni Smith contributed to the UEA/AQA Creative Writing Summer School, August 2015.
Discussions were also held with Becky Swain, education officer of the Arvon Foundation, about the possibility of a joint NWP/Arvon writing teachers’ residential. However, this proved to be financially beyond the scope of NWP at the time.
Teachers’ writing groups: Simon Wrigley and Jeni Smith launched 4 new NWP teachers’ writing groups in 2015: Gloucestershire (24/2), Luton (9/9), Lincoln (16/9), and Occold (Suffolk)
21 NWP teachers’ writing groups and leaders (as of Dec 2015):
Brighton, Sussex: Theresa Gooda
Bristol University: Lorna Smith
Cardiff: Lisa Tippings
Eastbourne: Rachel Crystal
Gloucestershire: Esther Menon
Halifax: Laura Ovenden
Lincoln: Emily Chester
London (Brunel University, Uxbridge): Vicki Tucker and Geeta Ludhra
London (Camden): Alison Pyle
London (Free Spaces): John Wilks, Mari Cruice and Helen Atkinson
London (Huddled Masses): Cat Barr and Mouse Choudhury
London (Institute of Education): Morlette Lindsey
London (Islington Secondary): Emma Simpson
London (Whodunit): Simon Wrigley
Luton: Kat Burr
Milton Keynes: Emma Exelby
North Wales, Gwynedd: Sara Williams
Norwich (UEA): Jeni Smith
Nottingham (TWIN): Jane Bluett and Shelagh Hubbard
Occold, Suffolk: Jeni Smith
Reading University: Caroline Crolla
NWP group leaders’ network met twice at the Institute of Education on March 7 and July 4.
21 NWP teachers’ writing groups and leaders (as of Dec 2015):
Brighton, Sussex: Theresa Gooda
Bristol University: Lorna Smith
Cardiff: Lisa Tippings
Eastbourne: Rachel Crystal
Gloucestershire: Esther Menon
Halifax: Laura Ovenden
Lincoln: Emily Chester
London (Brunel University, Uxbridge): Vicki Tucker and Geeta Ludhra
London (Camden): Alison Pyle
London (Free Spaces): John Wilks, Mari Cruice and Helen Atkinson
London (Huddled Masses): Cat Barr and Mouse Choudhury
London (Institute of Education): Morlette Lindsey
London (Islington Secondary): Emma Simpson
London (Whodunit): Simon Wrigley
Luton: Kat Burr
Milton Keynes: Emma Exelby
North Wales, Gwynedd: Sara Williams
Norwich (UEA): Jeni Smith
Nottingham (TWIN): Jane Bluett and Shelagh Hubbard
Occold, Suffolk: Jeni Smith
Reading University: Caroline Crolla
NWP group leaders’ network met twice at the Institute of Education on March 7 and July 4.
NWP website: Simon Wrigley continued to build the NWP (UK) Website (nwp.org.uk). Apart from in July when there were IT difficulties, blogs were posted monthly. No record was taken of site hits in 2015. However, current site statistics (as of 12.6.2016) register 584 unique viewers per week, 3,716 page views, a total of 164 writing group expressions of interest (new teachers joining groups through the website), and 34 uses of the new ‘Contact form’ facility (added in 2015).
Simon Wrigley and Jeni Smith, 12 June 2016.
Simon Wrigley and Jeni Smith, 12 June 2016.