We were thrilled to welcome celebrated poet and National Poetry Day Ambassador Matt Goodfellow to St John’s, where he led dynamic sessions with Forms 1 to 6. A former primary teacher turned full-time poet, Matt is the author of several acclaimed collections including Caterpillar Cake, Chicken on the Roof, and Let’s Chase Stars Together, all shortlisted for the prestigious CLiPPA award. He is also co-author of Being Me: Poems About Thoughts, Worries and Feelings, a powerful anthology exploring children’s emotional wellbeing.
Matt’s visit was a celebration of poetry as a tool for self-expression. With warmth and humour, he encouraged pupils to embrace ‘rebel writing’ which is meant to be playful, purposeful, and personal and shared practical tips on using rhythm, pattern and voice to bring their ideas to life. His message was clear: poetry belongs to everyone, and writing can be a powerful way for children to be themselves.
Let poetry find a shape for your thoughts, feelings and ideas.
In each session, Matt brought the room together through shared poems, laughter, and reflection. Our pupils explored how poetry can help get thoughts “out of your head and into the world,” and how writing can be both a creative outlet and a way to connect with others. He spoke about the importance of finding your own voice, breaking the rules when needed, and not being afraid to inject fun, surprise, and emotion into your work.
The best way to demonstrate that poetry can be a magical, mercurial shape-shifter, capable of doing an infinite amount of things, is simply to open as many doorways to it as possible.
This visit aligns beautifully with our school’s wider intention: to give children the freedom to be themselves in their writing, while equipping them with the tools they need from form and genre to grammar and vocabulary. Matt’s approach reinforced our belief that writing should be both skilful and soulful and that, when exposed on a regular basis to poetry, children begin to understand that poets play with thoughts, feelings and ideas in their own unique voice and it’s something they can also do too.
Poetry, if allowed to, can change lives – it certainly changed mine.
The children in Form 3 and 4 had a week of 'Poetry Karaoke' in their library lessons. They spent time, reading and choosing some favourite poems and then performed these individually or in small groups with friends to the rest of their class. Some chose to learn their poems off by heart or shared favourite poems from home. It was lovely to see the children having fun, reading new poems and discovering new poets as well as being playful with the language and performance.
Many pupils were eager to learn more about Matt Goodfellow’s acclaimed free-verse novels, The Final Year and its sequel The First Year. Since its release two years ago, The Final Year has sold out nationwide and remains the best-selling children’s poetry book in the UK. Its powerful storytelling and emotional depth continue to resonate with young readers, sparking curiosity and conversation during Matt’s visit.
The poet also explored themes of accent, dialect, and identity, reminding pupils again and again: “Your voice matters” and “What you have to say matters.” His message was empowering and inclusive, encouraging every child to speak with confidence and pride in who they are.
We can’t wait to dive deeper into ‘rebel writing’ and see where our young poets take us next. Their voices are bold, curious, and ready to be heard.
