First Story

Fostering creativity & furthering literacy

The workshops are run by First Story. First Story changes lives through writing and brings talented, professional writers into secondary schools across the country, to work with teachers and students to foster creativity and further communication skills.

By helping students find their voices through intensive, fun programmes, First Story raises aspirations and gives students the skills and confidence to achieve them.

Sarah Bradley, our writer in residence and English teacher Ms Sanders have been involved in running the workshop with a small group of Year 9 and 10 students. During these sessions, students wrote their own poems and stories, which are due to be published in a Trust Anthology in September. Since this was their last session, the Academy held a showcase and reading event for students, who read out their own stories before an audience.

Ms Sanders said: "The written work produced by these students is outstanding. I am incredibly proud of the achievements of every student and I hope that they continue with their love of writing."

Mr Stokes added: "Thank you to First Story for nurturing the future authors and poets of Leeds East Academy. The showcase brought together a superb collection of literary work, which I look forward to seeing published in the Trust Anthology later this year."

For more details about First Story, visit their website here.