I have taught in UK primary classrooms for over 30 years. Literacy in Action: Football, published by Routledge, originated because the school I still teach in two days a week had boys who were more interested in the beautiful game than in writing. Classroom Literacy Games (Routledge 2011) followed to provide hard core, differentiated literacy activities suitable for cross curricular learning.
Currently, I am working with the Child Bereavement Charity on a resource to be published by Routledge titled Helping Children Think About Bereavement. I am also writer-in-residence at a school in Hemel and drafting a story about a slightly off-the-wall dog and the family he lives with. I always keep a few days clear each month when I can go to schools because it is one of the best things I do.
In the past year I have been writer-in-residence at a school in Tower Hamlets, East London (sponsored by Creative Partnerships), led a children's writing week at Scargill Retreat Centre on the North York Moors, driven steam trains in Poland and visited lots of schools to excite children about writing.
A finalist in the LA based 168 script writing competition, my first children's book was published in 1996. Over 30 titles have followed - stories of varying lengths, plays and more recently, teachers' resource material.
As a teacher I have worked in nurseries through to year 6. Able Writers days I offer work with high flyers from several schools coming together for a day's intensive writing.
An hour of inset training often wraps up a creative writing day. Inset can also be a whole day; I can enthuse for hours, from a teacher's point of view, about encouraging children to write. These are very practical ideas sessions including book making and other kinaesthetic ways to help less able engage.
Involved with Open the Book, Child Bereavement Charity and Trussell Trust (charities working in Bulgaria and the UK), I love reading, gardening, watching films, eating meals with friends or dreaming up quirky ideas whilst lying by a swimming pool with palm trees swaying gently in the breeze. In the last few years I have been priviliged to work with children in the US, Croatia and Poland.
I live in Amersham, Bucks with my husband who is called Derek. We have two sons (Tom and Toby) and two daughters-in-law named Sarah and Hannah. My birthday is on August 1st, I was born in Stoke-on-Trent, live in a semi-detached house (set at 45 degrees to the road because it is on a corner) and drive a silver polo. One of my favourite children's books is Michael Foreman's War Game.
I also love eating Maltesers, Twirls, After Eights, raw carrots and Fuji apples.
Schools I have been to in the last few years include...
Aboyne Lodge, St Albans ACS Cobham International School, Surrey Ash Hill Primary, High Wycombe
Binscombe, Junior, Godalming Bishop-Winnington-Ingram, Ruislip Blair Peach Primary, Southall Booker Hill Primary, High Wycombe Bourne Primary, Ruislip Busbridge Junior, Godalming
Carrington Junior, Flackwell Heath, Bucks Castlefield Combined, High Wycombe Cadar Park, Hazlemere, Bucks Chalfont St Giles Infant, Bucks Chalfont St Peter Infant, Bucks Chartridge Combined, Bucks Chesham Bois CE Combined, Bucks Chestnut Lane Infants, Amersham, Bucks Clapham Manor Primary, London Coleshill Infant, Bucks Colham Manor Primary, Uxbridge Colbbrook CofE, Slough Coteford Infants, Pinner, Middlesex Coteford Junior, Middlesex Crabtree Infant, Harpenden
Disraeli Combined, High Wycombe
Elangeni Junior, Amersham, Bucks
Farnham Royal CE Primary, Slough Field End junior, Ruislip Folkestone Academy (Primary), Kent
Galley Hill Primary, Hemel Hempstead Gerrards Cross CE, Bucks Great Missenden CE Combined, Bucks Grey Friars, Lichfield Gilbert Scott Junior, Croydon Goccio Elementary, Sarasota, Florida, United States of America
Lady Bankes Infant, Ruislip Langafel CE Primary, Kent Leagrave Primary, Luton Leamore Primary, Walsall Ley Hill School, Chesham, Bucks Linton Mead Primary, Thamesmead Little Kingshill Combined, Bucks Little Missenden CE Infant, Bucks Little Spring Primary, Chesham, Bucks Longmead Primary, West Drayton
Manor Farm Communiy Junior, Hazlemere, Bucks March Infant, High Wycombe Mayfield Primary, Hanwell Marlborough House, Kent Minet Infants, Hayes
Navigation Primary, Altrincham, Greater Manchester
Oak Farm Infants, Hillingdon Oak Green Primary, Aylesbury Oaklands Junior, Crowthorne Orwell Park School, Ipswich Osijek Secondary, Osijek, Croatia
Parkgate Primary, Watford Pengeulan Primary, Mountain Ash, Wales Perthcelyn Community, Mountain Ash, Wales Pinkwell Primary, Hillingdon Priory CE Primary, Trentham, Stone-on-Trent Pupil Referral Unit, Aylesbury
Queen Eleanor CE Primary, Guildford
Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre, Bucks Robertswood Primary, Chalfont St Peter, Bucks Roebuck Primary, Stevenage
Silsoe Lower School, Beds Silverstone infant, Northamptonshire St Andrews CE, Uxbridge St Charles Borromeo, Weybridge St Clement's & Bethany Federation, Bournemouth St Helen's College, Hillingdon St Joseph's Catholic Combined, Chalfont St Peter, Bucks St Mary's CE, Amersham St Mary's CE Primary, Farnborough, Hampshire St Mary's Catholic Primary, Uxbridge St Matthew's CE PRimary, Rehill, Surrey St Matthew's CE Primary, Yiewsley, West Drayton St Nicholas Primary, Taplow, Maidenhead St Paul's CE Primary, Dorking St Peter's CE Primary, Farnham. Surrey St Piran's School, Maidenhead St Stephen's CE, Lambeth, London Southcote Rise, Ruislip Spinfield Primary, Marlow, Berks Spelthorne Junior, Ashford, Middlesex Surbiton Junior, Kingston Upon Thames
Tatsfied Primary, Kent Thomas Eaton Primary, Wimblington, Cambs Thomas Jolyffe Primary, Stratford-upon-Avon Tonyrefail Primary, Wales
(set at 45 degrees to the road because it is on a corner) and drive a silver polo. One of my favourite children's books is Michael Foreman's War Game.