Poetry School @ Thornhill Primary

Associate Artist Paul Lyalls has been poet-in-residence at Thornhill Primary School since 2010.

Paul works with children as part of the schools Enrichment programme, to develop confidence and creativity in written and spoken word within the school community. Pupils perform annually in school for WORD festival alongside poets including Michael Rosen, John Hegley and Adisa, and at Cally Festival. We have produced two Words are Birds anthologies, and an annual Year 6 Leavers poetry film. A performance at Kings Place in March 2019 to launch 11 by 11 (Islington Council’s key strategic cultural engagement initiative for children and young people), continues to develop the tradition of creating opportunities to share the children’s work with public audiences. All Change and the school are exploring developing a Poetry School model which others can adopt, as we enter the 10th year of this successful partnership.

Photo by Lauren Matthews