Westwood Academy primary pupils become published authors!

Year 5 children at Westwood Academy were tasked by their teacher Tamanna Begum to write a mini saga with an exciting twist in the story.

The children were asked to keep the story both original and creative - and they definitely lived up to the brief!

The children based their story on their class text ‘The Pirate Queen’ and looked at how they could turn aspects of the familiar story into an original piece of writing to enter into a Young Writers’ competition called ‘A Twist in a Tale’.

The children worked in groups to perform their mini saga, before using the dictation facility on their iPads to write up their story.

They then edited their saga as they had to cut their story down to 100 words to adhere to competition rules.

Discussing what they enjoyed most about the writing process, Shumaiya said: "I enjoyed the challenge of having to write in under 100 words!"

And Ibrahim said: "I enjoyed changing a part of the story to make it my own."

Teacher Tamanna said: “Watching the children’s imaginations come to life as they went through the writing process was a real privilege.”

Commenting on the event, Antony Hughes (CEO, The Harmony Trust) said: “This is a fantastic achievement for the children and for Westwood Academy and a wonderful example of how technology has been embedded into everyday classroom practice and is enhancing the way children learn and express themselves.”

All children in Years 3-6 in Harmony Trust academies are given access to their own iPad as part of the Trust’s HTML scheme which ensures fair digital access for all children.

The children from Westwood Academy will now see their work published in a book they will be able to share with their friends and families.

The Harmony Trust is a multi-academy and school-led organisation based in Oldham, Tameside and Derby.

The Trust was set up in February 2014 with its core aim being to raise attainment in local schools.

The Trust has the highest aspirations for its pupils, parents and staff members.

They work hard to ensure that every child achieves.

Young Writers is an organisation that provides resources to help inspire children of all ages and abilities.

They run award-winning national writing competitions for preschoolers to 18 year olds, resulting in their work being published in a real book.

The Young Writers experience helps turn imagination and creativity into confidence and improved writing ability.

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