UK Patron of Reading visits Melksham primary school

Children at The Manor Primary School in Melksham spent the day with author and UK Patron of Reading, Joffre White, exploring creative writing.

He visited the school on 17th March, running workshops and a Q & A session, and shared details of his personal life and what shaped him as a writer. During assembly, he encouraged pupils to ‘find their book’, with many asking to visit the school library afterwards.

During the creative writing sessions, children explored ways to get words from their imagination onto paper, building a foundation for a story.

Joffre also unveiled the school’s new book vending machine, funded by The Friends of The Manor Primary School. Each child received a token to choose a book to take home, with further tokens to be awarded by teaching staff for demonstrating school values. He cut the ribbon alongside the youngest and eldest pupils.

The chair of Friends of The Manor Primary School said, “We were delighted to see the children engaging with every session. It was clear that every child took something from the day, and the fact so many went home asking to write stories, visit the library or tell their parents about Joffre shows how inspirational his visit was.

“Our ability to invite Joffre and purchase the machine and books is testament to the dedication of our fundraising team and the support of parents. We chose to fund the machine because we firmly believe every child should have access to books at home.”

Pictured Matt Snook and Joffre White with pupils.