Former teacher launches creative writing initiative for students

An innovative new creative writing scheme has been launched by a former Teach First teacher.

Katy Waldegrave's initiative, entitled First Story, teams acclaimed authors with teenagers in challenging schools, the Times Educational Supplement reports.

The pupils take part in fortnightly creative writing workshops with the authors, who include Philip Pullman, Mark Haddon and Zadie Smith, to talk about their work and have their stories, poems and plays published in small anthologies.

Schools with 30 per cent or more students on free school meals or less than 25 per cent gaining five A* - C grades at GCSE are invited to take part.

Working with William Fiennes, author of The Snow Geese, Ms Waldegrave had already run a successful year-long pilot scheme at the Cranford Community College in Hounslow, where she previously worked as a history teacher for five years.

"We want it to be sustainable and hope that teenagers who have benefited will mentor younger pupils and eventually help them change the whole culture in their school," she told the newspaper.

Teach First is a scheme that allows top graduates who are planning a career in other areas to teach for at least two years in challenging secondary schools in London, the north-west and the midlands.