THE
SCaR
GatHErER
Past BooKingS
In case you were wondering how I spend my time when I'm not writing, knitting knots in my spreadsheets, or chasing round after my own children, quite a bit of that time is taken up with school workshops. When I counted up, I found I had made over 150 visits to schools since I published the first book in The Scar Gatherer series. In one six-week period, for example ....
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... I visited 20 schools,
... taught 76 workshops,
... sold 941 books,
... drove 2700 miles,
... and spoke to over 2500 children aged from 4 to 18!
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Yikes!
Here is a list of the main school visits and events I've done, not including the odds and ends like World Book Week bedtime stories, or the countless hours I've spent sitting behind tables at school fairs and book sales!
​2024
Wensum Junior School, Norwich - repeat visit
Northgate High School, Dereham - repeat visit
White Woman Lane Junior School, Norwich - repeat visit
Old Catton Junior School, Norwich - repeat visit
Horsford Primary School, Norfolk
Harnser Schools, Norfolk
Huish Episcopi Primary School, Somerset
Ludham Primary School, Norfolk
Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, Leeds - repeat visit
White Laith Primary School, Leeds
Cherry Burton Primary School, Beverley - in person visit after 2021 virtual visit
Newbald Primary School, Beverley
St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School, Clayton
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2023
St. Mary's Junior Academy, Long Stratton
Newton Flotman Primary School
Hillside Avenue Primary School, Thorpe - repeat visit
Edward Worlledge Ormiston Academy, Great Yarmouth - repeat visit
Toftwood Junior School - two full days - the fourth year I've visited this school
Pembroke Park Primary School, Salisbury
Fakenham Junior School
Henderson Green Primary School, Norwich
Blofield Primary School, Norfolk
Old Catton Junior School, Norwich
White Woman Lane Junior School, Norwich
Tuckswood Academy, Norwich
British International School Al Khobar (BISAK), Saudi Arabia *virtual visit*
St. Luke's Primary School, Kingston - repeat *virtual visit*
Caerleon Lodge Hill Primary School, Newport - repeat *virtual visit*
Wath Victoria Primary School, Rotherham *virtual visit*
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2022
St. Luke's Primary School, Kingston - repeat *virtual visit*
Queen Ethelburga's Collegiate, York
Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School, Leeds
Adel St. John the Baptist's Primary School, Leeds
Bubwith Community Primary School, East Riding
Ninelands Primary School, Leeds
Nelson Academy, Downham Market - repeat visit
Toftwood Junior School, Dereham - repeat visit
North Denes Primary School, Great Yarmouth - repeat visit
Caister Junior School - repeat visit
Belfry Primary School, Overstrand
Norwich Road Academy, Thetford
Ranby Primary School
Magdalene Gates Primary School, Norwich
Reepham Primary School
Northgate High School, Dereham - secondary and sixth form
Sprowston Junior School, Norwich
Iceni Academy, Hockwold
Croydon High School
Pocklington Junior School, East Riding
Clifford All Saints Primary School, Sheffield
North Newton Community Primary School
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2021
St. Luke's Primary School, Kingston *virtual visit to children at home during school closure*
Cherry Burton Primary School, Beverley *virtual visit*
Avondale Primary School, Darwen *virtual visit*
Luck Lane Primary School, Huddersfield *virtual visit*
Caerleon Lodge Hill Primary School, Newport *virtual visit*
Pimperne Primary School - in person visit, yippee!
Fairfield Junior School, Buxton *virtual visit*
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​2020
St. John's Primary School, Warminster – Patron of Reading visit 2
Garvestone Primary School
Loddon Junior School - repeat visit
Toftwood Junior School, Dereham - repeat visit
Alpington & Bergh Apton Primary School
Hillside Avenue Primary School, Norwich
Little Plumstead Primary School
Castle Primary School, Stoke sub Hamdon
Buckland St. Mary Primary School
St. John's Catholic Primary School, Tiverton
Webber's Primary School
Burlescombe Primary School
Hamp Academy
St. John's Primary School, Warminster - World Book Week
Monkton Combe School - World Book Week
Wilton Primary School - World Book Week
Minerva Primary School - World Book Week
Heacham Junior School
St. Martin at Shouldham Primary Academy
All Saints Academy, Kings Lynn
Valley Primary Academy, Norwich
Holly Meadows School, Norfolk
Wensum Junior School
Peterhouse Primary Academy
Nelson Academy
Byers Green Primary School *virtual visit*
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2019
St. John's Primary School, Warminster – Patron of Reading visit 1
Bemerton St. John Primary School, Salisbury – Patron of Reading visit 4 & 5
Broad Chalke Primary School – Patron of Reading visit 4 & 5
The English School, Gothenburg, Sweden – 3 days of workshops
Sarum Academy, Salisbury - repeat visit
Bemerton St. John Primary School, Salisbury – Patron of Reading visit 3
Broad Chalke Primary School – Patron of Reading visit 3
Taverham Junior School
Caister Junior School
Stradbroke Primary Academy, Great Yarmouth
Edward Worlledge Ormiston Academy, Great Yarmouth
Little Melton Primary School
Redcastle Family School, Thetford - repeat visit
Broad Chalke Primary School – Patron of Reading visit 2
Alderbury Primary School
Dulwich College
Bemerton St. John Primary School, Salisbury – Patron of Reading visit 2
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​​2018
Winterslow Primary School - repeat visit
Bemerton St. John Primary School, Salisbury – Patron of Reading visit 1
Broad Chalke Primary School – Patron of Reading visit 1
St. Andrew's Primary School, Salisbury – Patron of Reading visit 5 & 6
Old Sarum Primary School, Salisbury - repeat visit
Wyvern College, Salisbury
Clarendon Junior School – 2 days of workshops for Y5 and Y6
Whiteparish All Saints Primary School
Sarum Academy, Salisbury – The Big Write competition judging and award presentation speech
Winterbourne Earls Primary School - repeat visit
Bemerton St. John Primary School, Salisbury
Sarum Academy, Salisbury - repeat visit
Downton Primary School
Clarendon Junior School – 2 days of workshops for Y3 and Y4
St. Andrew's Primary School, Salisbury – Patron of Reading visit 3 & 4
Loddon Primary School
Redcastle Family School, Thetford
Toftwood Primary School, Dereham
Rockland St. Mary's Primary School
Surlingham Primary School
North Denes Primary School, Great Yarmouth
St. Mary's Primary School, Beetley
St. Andrew's Primary School, Salisbury – Patron of Reading visit 2
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2017
Bartley Junior School - repeat visit
St. Andrew's Primary School, Salisbury – Patron of Reading visit 1
Sarum Academy, Salisbury – The Big Write competition judging and award presentation speech
Wilton and Barford Primary School – Patron of Reading visits 3, 4 & 5
Sarum Academy, Salisbury
Wilton and Barford Primary School – Patron of Reading visits 1 & 2
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2016
St. Martin's Cranbrook Primary School
Lydeard St. Lawrence Primary School
St. Andrew's Primary School, Salisbury - repeat visit
Waterstones book launch for The Demon in the Embers
Winterbourne Earls Primary School – Patron of Reading visits 4, 5, & 6
Sarum Academy, Salisbury – The Big Write competition judging and award presentation speech
Exeter House School, Salisbury
Winterbourne Earls Primary School – Patron of Reading visits 2 & 3
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2015
Winterbourne Earls Primary School – Patron of Reading visit 1
Winterslow Primary School
Winterbourne Earls Primary School
St. Andrew's Primary School, Salisbury - repeat visit
Opening of Winterslow Primary School fete, and competition judging
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2014
Christ Church Primary School, Bradford on Avon – book festival
St Andrew's Primary School, Salisbury
Old Sarum Primary School, Salisbury – under the scrutiny of Ofsted!
Bartley Junior School
St. Nicholas' School, Idmiston
Christ Church Primary School, Bradford on Avon
Corsham Regis Primary Academy
Patron of ReadinG
In the past 8 years, I have been Patron of Reading at:
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~ Winterbourne Earls Primary,
~ Wilton Primary School,
~ St. Andrew's Primary School in Laverstock,
~ Broad Chalke Primary School,
~ Bemerton St. John Primary School, and
~ St. John's Primary School in Warminster.
As Patron of Reading and Writing, my job is to work with children in a school across an extended period, usually a school year, to inspire them in their reading, and along the way also teach them how to write better. We do all kinds of workshops, which in the past have included story-telling, workshops on how to create convincing characters and settings, workshops on dialogue, and detailed plot workshops to guide the children through the steps to constructing a successful story.
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As part of the scheme, schools also have the opportunity to follow the progress of the latest book I'm writing, in real time, from the research notes and early scribblings through the writing and editing, and the head-scratching as I try to come up with a title!
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Children at my previous Patron of Reading schools have enjoyed regular updates on the writing of the last four of the Scar Gatherer books, (including seeing the bits that ended up in the bin!), and they even got trial copies to read and give feedback on. Almost all of their comments were incorporated in the final edit of the book, so they have been a very real part of the process.
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While Patron of Reading partnerships are usually between schools and authors that are located fairly close together, I would be more than happy to travel further afield. If you think you might like me to work with your school as Patron of Reading in the 2024/25 academic year, please contact me.
World Book Day 2019: me as Helena Calvina from The Leopard in the Golden Cage, holding my very Roman mobile phone.