NATE is delighted to launch Creative Approaches to Teaching Poetry, an exciting new professional learning project.

Funded by a grant from Tower Poetry and organised by NATE in conjunction with Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield, the project is designed to create space for creative, exploratory approaches to teaching poetry, away from the immediate pressures of GCSE.

Working in small school-based teams, participants will develop and teach a short sequence of lessons built around a paired-poem focus. The project will foreground reading as writers, writing as readers, talk, performance and imaginative engagement, exploring how these approaches can encourage curiosity, creativity and confidence while helping young people engage more deeply with poetry.

The programme begins with an online twilight launch on Tuesday 10th November, followed by a full-day conference at Sheffield Hallam University on Friday 4th December. The conference will bring participants together with poetry and English education specialists for workshops, discussion and collaborative planning.

Schools will then dedicate approximately a fortnight of curriculum time to putting their ideas into practice during February and March. Participants will have opportunities for paired observation, reflection and support as they explore what happens when these approaches are enacted in the classroom.

Before the May half term, schools will come back together at the University of Sheffield for a final sharing event, reflecting on what they have tried, sharing examples of students’ work and identifying some of the key principles emerging from the project.

Funding will be available to support participating schools with cover for release time, planning, observation and other agreed project activity, with flexibility over how this support is used.

The project will also capture and share some of the work taking place through teacher and student reflections, classroom examples and, where agreed with schools, video from teaching, learning and project events. Findings and case studies will be shared through NATE publications and with the wider English education community, with participating teachers also having the opportunity to contribute to a workshop at the NATE Conference next year.

Building on our pilot

The project builds on a successful pilot involving teachers from Hall Cross School, Wales High School, King James’s School and King Edward VII School. Led by James Durran, with valuable contributions from Mick Connell, the pilot explored creative ways into poetry: how we frame poems in the classroom, encourage genuine engagement, and create space for curiosity, discussion and playfulness alongside the realities of assessment.

Through shared reading, discussion and collaborative exploration, participants considered approaches that encourage students to read closely, respond creatively and develop their thinking through talk. Their enthusiasm, ideas and reflections have provided an important foundation for the wider project.

The day was characterised by shared reading, thoughtful discussion and collaborative exploration, with participants reflecting on approaches that encourage students to read closely, respond creatively and develop their thinking through talk. The enthusiasm and generosity of everyone involved provided an inspiring foundation for the project, and we look forward to seeing these ideas develop in classrooms over the coming months.

Made possible through the generous support of Tower Poetry, whose Development Grants promote innovative projects that advance the understanding and enjoyment of poetry in English, Creative Approaches to Teaching Poetry represents an exciting opportunity for schools to collaborate, experiment and help shape the future of poetry teaching.

Recruitment opens this month, with further information on how schools can register their interest available soon.

Featured image: iStock/SolStock