Tag: Primary Schools

  • Tower Hamlets Book Award 2015

    Tower Hamlets Book Award 2015

     

    The 2015 Tower Hamlets Book Award is now over…

    Follow the above link for all the latest news and the winner!

    About the award:

    The Book Award is for pupils aged 10 to 13. The aim is to encourage children to read, to bring children together to enable debate and discussion about books and to encourage children to share the pleasure of reading.

    Because the award bridges primary and secondary schools, it encourages pupils from different phases to share in reading events and work together. Schools who have taken part in the award have found it to be highly beneficial in encouraging children to broaden their reading range and develop their literacy – not just in reading but also in speaking and listening, as a core part of any book award is discussion and debate. It’s also far more fun than phonics and SATS.

    Vote for the best book

    Voting forms

    News from the finale

    The winner of the Tower Hamlets Book Award is decided entirely by pupil votes, and each pupil is allowed their own choice.

    Voting has now closed!

    Bookmark competition

    The bookmark competition is now closed! We have chosen 6 winners which will be announced at the finale on the 27th!

    We had hundreds of entries, and the winners and commended entries will be featured online after the finale.

    Register for the finale

    News from the finale

    I’m sorry, but the finale is now fully booked. If any schools drop out of the event then space will become free, so if you wish to be on this waiting list, please email me at : jacob.turner@towerhamlets.gov.uk

    About the finale

    The finale is a chance for book groups from the schools shadowing the award to get together and cast their votes for the best book (but there’s much more that this!)

    This year there will be:

    • 4 of the shortlisted authors present to meet pupils, sign books, and have a chat!
    • The famous presentation competition – 8 schools will each champion one of the shortlisted books through a performance or presentation of their choice!
    • The winners for this year’s bookmark competition will be announced and collect their prizes
    • The book award quiz
    • Books for sale
    • Voting for the best book!

    The venue will be the main hall at Swanlea Secondary School.

    Friday 27th November 12:30 to 3pm

    For more information about the finale, please contact us on 020 7364 6428 or email jacob.turner@towerhamlets.gov.uk

    shortlist2015BannerThe Books!

    The shortlist has been selected from the 2015 Must Read list for upper KS2 and the 2015 Teen list.

    Black, Holly – Doll Bones
    A chilling ghost story  – Poppy’s old china doll is telling her that she is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl, that her spirit is trapped inside and must be released…
    Gayton, Sam – Lilliput
    200 moons after leaving Lilliput, Gulliver has returned to take back proof of his amazing travels – proof in the form of Lilly. Three inches tall and now imprisoned in a bird cage in London, she dreams of escaping back home.
    Gemin, G R – Cowgirl
    If Gemma ever stops to think about it, she knows hiding a herd of cows on a housing estate is a bit mad, but how else can she help Cowgirl keep them from the abattoir?
    Gilman, David – Monkey and Me
    Beanie wears a beanie because his hair fell out during his treatment for leukaemia. Much as he wants to get better, he doesn’t think this should be at the expense of experiments on animals such as the monkey he finds at the deserted house.
    Ho-Yen, Polly- Boy in the Tower
    Ade loves living at the top of a tower block. But one day, other tower blocks start falling down around them and strange, menacing plants begin to appear. Now their tower isn’t safe anymore. Ade and his mum are trapped and there’s no way out…
    Slater, Kim – Smart
    Kieran has skills – not socialising or getting on with people skills, but drawing and detective skills – which ought to come in handy when a homeless man is murdered down by the canal…

    Thank you to everyone who helped us to select the shortlist, especially the pupils from St Pauls Whitechapel Primary School.

    Your FREE set of books

    Every Tower Hamlets school subscribing to our lending service will receive a set of the shortlisted books in September for your book groups. Further sets can also be bought for £33 each, including book jackets.

    Email jacob.turner@towerhamlets.gov.uk or contact the library to order additional sets.

    Author Visits:

    Kim Slater, Polly Ho-Yen, Giancarlo Gemin, and Sam Gayton are all available for author visits this term and will also be present at the finale! If you’re interested in booking one of these authors, please email jacob.turner@towerhamlets.gov.uk

    To get you in the mood for the award, here's a picture of pupils from Blue Gate Fields Juniors putting on a very hairy performance of Wild Boy by Rob Lloyd Jones, which won the 2014 award for best book.
    To get you in the mood for the award, here’s a picture from the last finale of pupils from Blue Gate Fields Juniors putting on a very hairy performance of Wild Boy by Rob Lloyd Jones, which won the 2014 award for best book.

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  • Once upon a time… : Creative Writing Competition 2015

    Once upon a time… : Creative Writing Competition 2015

    IMG_1800Congratulations to all of the winners of the 2015 Creative Writing competition, pictured here with Catherine Johnson who presented their prizes and certificates. Pupils from 22 primary and secondary schools were rewarded for their work in writing some fantastic poems and stories, and we’d like to thank again Catherine for judging the competition, and for all of the staff at Clifford Chance who hosted the prize-giving.

    Choosing the winners was an extremely difficult task, and placing them in the awards even harder. The full list of winners is below.

    Key Stage Two Poetry Winners

    1st    Imani Adesanya    St Paul with St Luke Primary School
    2nd    Irfan Rahman    Cayley Primary School
    3rd    Shama Arufa    St Paul with St Luke Primary School
    Commended   Nadia Saleh    Marion Richardson Primary School

    Key Stage Two Short Story Winners

    Joint 1st    Lili Fairclough    Chisenhale Primary School
    Joint 1st    Jahed Ali Chowdhuri    Harry Gosling Primary School
    2nd    Aflah Odayapurath    Harry Gosling Primary School
    Joint 3rd    Isobel McGrath    Chisenhale Primary School
    Joint 3rd    Natalia Augustynowicz    St Anne’s Primary School
    Joint 3rd    Cadee Mbonu    Our Lady and St Josephs’ Primary School
    Commended    Umae Assefa    St Anne’s Primary School
    Commended    Arnold Duru    Our Lady and St Joseph’s Primary School
    Commended     Abrar Fariduddin    Globe Primary School
    Runner up    Tracy Mandal    Blue Gate Fields Junior School
    Runner up    Phoebe Lee    Guardian Angels Primary School
    Runner up    Gabriel Gokool    Guardian Angels Primary School
    Runner up    Madeeha Meezan    Hague Primary School
    Runner up    Maiesha  Islam    Hague Primary School
    Runner up    Sarah Salwa   John Scurr Primary School
    Runner up    Shokathia Islam   John Scurr Primary School
    Runner up    Mohammed Akbar Ali   Malemsbury Primary School
    Runner up    Hannah Labor   St Elizabeths Primary School
    Runner up    Omar Ahmed Ali   St Pauls Whitechapel Primary School

    Key Stage Three Poetry Winners

    1st    Intila Abedhin    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    2nd    Maliha Ahmed    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    3rd    Piah Uddin    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    Commended    Samida Yasmin    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    Commended     Lucy Vo    Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended    Stephanie Quarty    Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended    Samirah Ahmed    Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School

    Key Stage Three Short Story Winners

    1st    Rio Puffett    Bow Secondary School
    Joint 2nd    Motarin Zomari   Morpeth School
    Joint 2nd    Piah Uddin   Central Foundation Girls’ School
    3rd    Ahmed Farah    Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School
    Commended    Katharine Tang    Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended    Juariyah Raqib    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    Commended    Nusaybah Al-Mamun    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    Runner up    Hamza Ahmed Chowdhury   Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing

    Key Stage Four Poetry Winners

    1st    Anika Iqbal    Langdon Park Secondary School

    Prize-winners’ workshop

    The workshop with author Catherine Johnson will be held on Tuesday 23rd June at the PDC, 229 Bethnal Green Road.

    • Secondary workshop : 9.30am to 11.30am
    • Primary workshop : 12.30pm to 2.30pm

    About the competition

    Our Creative Writing Competition is open to pupils in upper KS2, KS3 and KS4

    The competition aims to encourage children to explore writing as an exciting activity and to have their achievements recognised. The 2015 competition runs from January to April. Children are invited to write a short story or poem on the theme which this year is alternative fairy tales and myths and legends.

    Prizes

    The first prize in each key stage and category (short story and poetry) is £50 with additional prizes for runners up and commended entries. All prize-winners are invited to attend a writing workshop with the guest judge.

    An anthology of the winning entries will be published as an electronic book via Amazon to take the children’s work to a worldwide audience, and can also be uploaded to school VLEs and websites.

    A prize-giving ceremony will take place on Monday 22nd June at the Clifford Chance Building for the winners and members of their family.

    Exploring the theme

    Traditional tales and myths and legends offer a wide range of inspiration to writers. Guidance notes on the theme will be sent to registering schools. Participants are encouraged to read a variety of myths, fairytales and folk tales in order to help them choose characters or a story to adapt.

    Book selections are available to borrow from the Schools Library Service – either visit us, or mark on your Request for Resources form that your school is taking part in the competition.

    Poster art to download

    You can download these images to use as part of a PowerPoint or on a school display screen (right click and select and select save link as…)

    CWC2015forweb4

     

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  • Must Read Booklist 2015

    Must Read Booklist 2015

    MustRead2015Banner40 of the best new fiction titles for your primary school Library, aimed at years 5 and 6.

    The Must Read Booklist is our annual selection of the best fiction for primary schools chosen by librarians from the Schools Library Service and primary and secondary schools.
    Titles from the 2015 Teen and Primary lists will be chosen for the Book Award Shortlist in July. Don’t forget to register for this event!
    The booklist represents a selection of the best new fiction first published in paperback within the last year, and aims to cover as diverse a range of subjects, genres, authors and interests as possible.
    A set of posters and bookmarks for the booklist will be sent to all subscribing primary schools in May 2015.
    Please contact the library for any further information about the booklist or to request more posters/ bookmarks (subscribing schools only)

     

    View the full list
    Baisch, Milena Anton and Piranha Anton is planning to spend his holiday with his grandparents in the pool. But then disaster strikes . . . their holiday camp DOES NOT HAVE A POOL! Instead it has a lake – a lake filled with murky, slimy, dark, disgusting sludge – and Anton just can’t understand why everybody else is so happy to dive-bomb and swim in it all day long.
    Black, Holly Doll Bones A chilling ghost story – Poppy’s old china doll is telling her that she is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl, that her spirit is trapped inside and must be released…
    Boyne, John Stay Where You Are and Then Leave The day the First World War began, Alfie Summerfield’s father promised he wouldn’t go away to fight – but he broke that promise the very next morning. Four years on, his letters have stopped, and all Alfie knows is that he’s far away on a special, secret mission, but the truth is harsher…
    Carroll, Emma The Girl Who Walked on Air Louie, abandoned at Chipchase’s Travelling Circus as a baby, dreams of becoming a ‘Showstopper’, but Mr Chipchase keeps her tucked away in the ticket booth. No death-defying stunts for her. But Louie has been secretly practising the tightrope. She just needs to be given the chance to shine.
    Cousins, Dave Charlie Merrick’s Misfits Charlie wants his team to play in the exhibition matches at the World Cup tournament, but there’s one problem. He’s got to prove that North Star deserve a place at the tournament and that’s not easy when your team are rubbish at football!
    Cowell, Catherine Ernest Simba Liwida the lizard is Ernest’s best and only real friend as he grows up, disabled, in the African orphanage where he was abandoned as a baby, and Liwida can do amazing things…
    Creech, Sharon The Boy on the Porch John and Marta find a strange boy asleep on their porch with a short note in his pocket “plees taik kair of Jacob.” He doesn’t speak, has a knack with the animals and loves to paint, but where has he come from and to whom does he belong?
    DiCamillo, Kate Flora & Ulysses : the Illuminated Adventures The squirrel never saw it coming – the vacuum cleaner, that is. As for Flora Belle Buckman, she has read every issue of the comic book ‘Terrible Things Can Happen to You!’ so she is just the right person to save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses the squirrel has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight and misspelled poetry…
    Elson, Jane A Room Full of Chocolate Grace’s life changes when she is sent to live with her grumpy granddad in the country while her mother is in hospital. At her new school she becomes the bullies’ latest target. Then she meets rainbow-girl Megan and her pig Claude and they hatch a plan to run away that involves Claude, chocolate Easter eggs and a mad dash home to London.
    Federle, Tim Five, Six, Seven, Nate Armed with a one-way ticket to New York City, small-town theatre geek Nate is off to start rehearsals for E.T.: The Broadway Musical. It’s everything he ever practised his autograph for! But as thrilling as Broadway is, rehearsals are nothing like Nate expects: full of intimidating child stars, cut-throat understudies, and a director who can’t even remember Nate’s name.
    Fischel, Emma Witchworld The witches of Witchworld have no need for wands or broomsticks, not when they have Spellsticks and Skyriders instead. And no one has a cauldron anymore, just a cupboard full of Potions2Go. So when Flo’s old-fashioned grandmother flies into town to warn them of a Ghoul attack, no-one believes her – after all, Ghouls died out years ago and she still rides around on a broomstick, for goodness’ sake!
    Gaiman, Neil; Riddell, Chris Fortunately, the Milk You know what it’s like when your mum goes away on a business trip and Dad’s in charge. She leaves a really, really long list of what he’s got to do, and the most important thing is DON’T FORGET TO GET THE MILK. Unfortunately, Dad forgets, so the next morning he has to go to the corner shop, and this is the story of why it takes him a very, very long time to get back.
    Gayton, Sam Lilliput 200 moons after leaving Lilliput, Gulliver has returned to take back proof of his amazing travels – proof in the form of Lilly. Three inches tall and now imprisoned in a bird cage in London, she dreams of escaping back home.
    Gemin, G. R. Cowgirl If Gemma ever stops to think about it, she knows hiding a herd of cows on a housing estate is a bit mad, but how else can she help Cowgirl keep them from the abattoir?
    Gilman, David Monkey and Me Beanie wears a beanie because his hair fell out during his treatment for leukaemia. Much as he wants to get better, he doesn’t think this should be at the expense of experiments on animals such as the monkey he finds at the deserted house.
    Gleitzman, Morris Extra Time Introducing a marauding fluffy mascot, a wise-as-an-owl landlady and a WAG called Terrine, this is an irresistible story of how one boy helps stressed-out top footballers find the fun in a kickabout again, with help from his fearsome agent (and little sister), Bridie.
    Griffiths, Mark The Impossible Boy Shielding her eyes against the intense afternoon sunlight the young girl stared in astonishment at the mayor and wondered why no-one had noticed the ghost standing behind him….so begins an impossible investigation for Geek Inc!
    Hart, Caryl; Smith, Alex T. The Road to Fame and Fortune Foxy DuBois is on the road to fame and fortune. Only one thing stands in her way – Alphonso the Alligator! Will gullible Alphonso go along with Foxy’s cunning plan?
    Hartnett, Sonya The Children of the King The wealthy Lockwood family flee London as bombs start to fall during the Blitz and take an evacuee, twelve-year-old May, with them to remote Heron Hall. The children discover two strange boys hiding in the ruins of an old castle and every night Uncle Peregrine tells the tale of the two princes in the tower. Their stories become entwined in an extraordinary adventure.
    Hill, Kirkpatrick Bo at Ballard Creek Two gold miners ‘rescue’ little Bo from an orphanage, and take her up north with them, bringing her up in an Inuit village in Alaska.
    Ho-Yen, Polly Boy in the Tower Ade loves living at the top of a tower block. But one day, other tower blocks start falling down around them and strange, menacing plants begin to appear. Now their tower isn’t safe anymore. Ade and his mum are trapped and there’s no way out…
    Irving, Ellie The Mute Button Anthony loves his family, but they can be very very noisy. He’s already got two brothers, a sister and a cat, and then another older brother turns up and things are going to get even noisier – so Ant starts a silent protest to try to get some attention, but what will it take for him to start speaking again?
    Johnson, Pete The Vampire Bewitched Something has happened to half-vampire Marcus following a mysterious accident. He’s lost his memory and cannot remember anything of his life as a vampire hunter…
    Laird, Elizabeth The Fastest Boy in the World Solomon loves to run and dreams of winning a gold medal, but when his grandfather collapses, Solomon is the only one who can run for help. Can he last the distance?
    Lee, Julia The Dangerous Discoveries of Gully Potchard Gully Potchard never means to cause any trouble, but when bully Nathan Boldree involves him in a scheme for kidnapping people’s dogs and holding them to ransom, Gully is quickly caught up in mischief and skulduggery. Can Gully sort things out and become a hero after all?
    Lester, Cas Harvey Drew and the Bin Men from Outer Space Harvey’s spaceship is on a collision course with the Toxic Spew – an intergalactic waste disposal ship – are they heading for mutliple spaceship pile-up on hyperspaceway B16…?
    McCombie, Karen The Girl Who Wasn’t There Maisie doesn’t believe in ghosts, but when she starts a new school there are rumours and she spots a pale shape in the art-room window. Together with new friend Kat they try to learn more about the ghost. Then Maisie finds some very old photos of someone who looks exactly like Kat…..
    McKay, Hilary Binny for Short Max came into Binny’s life and went again within a few short months and despite all the other dreadful things happening in her life, she can’t forget the adorable little black and white dog – will she ever see him again?
    Mitchelhill, Barbara Billy’s Blitz Life is London in wartime is not much fun – friends have been evacuated, and rationing means no treats -but in September 1940, things are going to get a whole lot worse…
    Montgomery, Ross The Tornado Chasers Safety is very important to Owen’s parents – which is why they moved to Barrow where children have to wear bright yellow at all times and are never allowed outside except to go to school. To relieve the boredom, Owen and his friends form the Tornado Chasers. Their mission: to get as close to a Grade 5 tornado as possible…
    O’Shea-Meddour, Wendy Wendy Quill is Full Up of Wrong It is very tricky to get things right all of the time – as Wendy Quill knows all too well…. this is her diary of her slightly awful accidents.
    Ross, Tony A Word in Your Ear A collection of surprising tales, each one with a twist. From bullfighters to ghosts, sea captains to uninvited friends, there are plenty of mysterious characters and curious places to keep you on the edge of your seat.
    Slater, Kim Smart Kieran has skills – not socialising or getting on with people skills, but drawing and detective skills – which ought to come in handy when a homeless man is murdered down by the canal…
    Sparkes, Ali Destination Earth Lucy is the only survivor from another planet. Her spaceship is programmed to take her to Earth, but can she convince the earthlings that she’s a real teenager and start her new life? Except a killer alien has hitched a lift, and the whole human race is in danger.
    Stead, Rebecca First Light Peter accompanies his parents on an expedition to Greenland. In another world, there is Thea, who lives with her family in hiding under the ice, unable to go above it. When Thea and Peter meet, two worlds will collide, and a host of secrets will be released.
    Stewart, Paul; Riddell, Chris Scavenger: Zoid Fourteen year-old York is a Scavenger on board an intergalactic spaceship looking for a new Earth. The ship also contains the most advanced Zoids ever created, who have rebelled, wiping out most of the crew. York has to risk life and limb to destroy the Zoids and scavenge the parts necessary to keep their human technology running.
    Sutcliffe, William Circus of Thieves and the Raffle of Doom It all starts to look very exciting when Armitage Shank’s Impossible Circus rolls into Hannah’s boring town, but no one realises just how nasty and slippery Armitage can be…
    Walter, Jon Close to the Wind Nine-year-old Malik and his grandfather have lost nearly everything to the war. Struggling to survive, they attempt to flee their country on the last ship out…
    Westcott, Rebecca Dandelion Clocks Liv is just a normal 11-year-old with a love for photography and hate for moronic Louise at school. But her life is turned upside down as the learns the truth about her mum’s illness.
    Williamson, Lara A Boy Called Hope Dan wants money, a new sister who doesn’t say horrible things, a swimming pool of chocolate cereal and to go to a school for wizards instead of his own boring school. But most of all, he wants a Dad…

    Poster and bookmark design by Angela Wraight

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  • KS2 Poetry Slam 2015

    KS2 Poetry Slam 2015

    The KS2 SLAMbassadors took place at Swanlea School last Thursday 5th February 2015.

    Using the theme “Identity” year 6 classes in eight primary schools wrote and performed their own poetry at a thrilling event at Swanlea.

    Schools have had poets in schools working with the classes during January.

    KS22015
    There was a group performance and a solo performance from each school, for which a trophy was awarded to the winner and runner-up in each category. In addition, the judges selected other contributions for the best line, the best imagery, and the best performance as well as the Joelle Taylor Award for Joelle’s favourite!

    Junior SLAMbassadors has engaged primary school children in East London for the last 2 years. It is a project that focusses not only the participants’ literacy and oracy, but also crucially on their emotional literacy.

    “it has been really inspiring to see the range of different children who have taken part and taken so much out of this fantastic initiative” -Tower Hamlets Teacher

    Schools can sign up for next year’s SLAMbassadors through SLAonline.  The secondary schools’ event is in July 2015, and the junior event will be in February 2016

    Email gillian.harris@towerhamlets.gov.uk for more information or use the contact form below.

    Contact us
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  • Tower Hamlets Book Award 2014

    Tower Hamlets Book Award 2014

    shortlist2014Banner

    The 2014 Tower Hamlets Book Award Shortlist is:

    • David Almond – The Boy who Swam with Piranhas
    • David Almond – Mouse Bird Snake Wolf
    • Sita Brahmachari – Kite Spirit
    • Berlie Doherty – The Company of Ghosts
    • Gill Lewis – Moon Bear
    • Rob Lloyd Jones – Wild Boy
    • Chris Riddell – Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse
    • Dan Smith – My Friend the Enemy

    Download the Shortlist PowerPoint (revised 8/9/14)

    Cast your vote!

    • There can only be one winner for the award, and YOU get to decide! Votes will be counted at the finale on the 28th November and every pupil has their own individual vote for their favourite book.
    • You can download the Ballot Paper here, to bring to the finale or drop off at the library OR you can email me a tally of votes from your reading groups to jacob.turner@towerhamlets.gov.uk
    • If your group isn’t coming to the finale then votes must reach the library by Thursday 27th or they wont be counted (because we’ll all be at the finale having too much fun to be checking emails).

     

    Book Award timeline and suggested activities (After the award!)
    • Invite the winning author and/or the other shortlisted authors to your school
    • Encourage pupils to read and discuss the winning book if they haven’t already done so
    • Plan your next reading event!
    • Get thinking about the books that you think should be nominated for the 2015 Tower Hamlets Book Award – all books must have been published in paperback in 2014

     

    Bookmark Competition

    Thank you for all of the great artwork for the competition. We’ve chosen the winners and will make the final announcement at the award finale.

    The Prizes:

    • Pupils will be awarded a prize at the grand finale (if they can’t attend, the prize will be sent to their school).
    • Winning bookmarks will be printed next summer term and sent to schools as part of the 2015 Book Award.

    About the award:

    The Book Award is for pupils aged 10 to 13. The aim is to encourage children to read, to bring children together to enable debate and discussion about books and to encourage children to share the pleasure of reading.

    Because the award bridges primary and secondary schools, it encourages pupils from different phases to share in reading events and work together. Schools who have taken part in the award have found it to be highly beneficial in encouraging children to broaden their reading range and develop their literacy – not just in reading but also in speaking and listening, as a core part of any book award is discussion and debate.

    2014 shortlist poster
    Posters and postcards will be delivered in September
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  • I picked up a pen and started writing : Creative Writing Competition 2014

    I picked up a pen and started writing : Creative Writing Competition 2014

    IMG_0434The winners of the 2014 Creative Writing Competition have been chosen!

    Children and staff and their guests were entertained by author and libraries campaigner Alan Gibbons on the 17th June as the prizes for the 2014 creative writing competition were awarded for winners in six categories for poetry and short stories.

    Several winners read from their work, which will be published as an eBook in July – available here and on the Amazon marketplace. The next day Alan hosted exclusive creative writing workshops for the lucky winners.

    The Schools Library Service would like to thank Alan Gibbons for judging this year’s entries, Clifford Chance for hosting the prize-giving, and all of the teachers and librarians who encouraged the hudreds of pupils to write the amazing poems and stories that we recieved.

    Key Stage Two Short Story Winners
    1st    Cara Mila Protopopov    Hermitage Primary School
    2nd    Ruhina Khanam    John Scurr Primary School
    3rd    Naazihah Amin    Globe Primary School
    Commended    Sonny Bissessar    St Paul with St Luke Primary School
    Commended    Maariyah Ayman    Lansbury Lawrence Primary
    Commended    Zahirah Sultana    Cyril Jackson Primary School
    Commended    Libby Mashedi    Our Lady Primary School
    Commended     Tasfia Begum    Hague Primary School
    Commended    Ryan Hunter    Chisenhale Primary School
    Commended    Simone Enzo Macharia Ciavarro    Guardian Angels Primary School

    Key Stage Two Poetry Winners
        
    1st Work withdrawn
    2nd    Hope Wardley    St Edmunds Primary School
    3rd    Mia Fay Fischer    Hermitage Primary School
    Commended    Malisa Amin    Lansbury Lawrence Primary School
    Commended    Zarin Tasmin    Cayley Primary School

    Key Stage Three Short Story Winners
    Joint 1st    Nishat Humaira    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    Joint 1st    Nuha Quddus    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    3rd    Leanne Lam    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    Commended    Aafriya Al-Mamun    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    Commended    Thibyan Haque    Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing
    Commended    Muhammad Safaraz Jowardhar    Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing
    Commended    Sophie Pereyra Bowdler    Morpeth Secondary School
    Commended    Ruma Begum    Langdon Park Secondary School
    Commended    Yasmin Abedin    Langdon Park Secondary School

    Key Stage Three Poetry Winners
    1st    Lailing Berthoud    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    2nd    Tasnia Choudhury    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    3rd    Tameika Bamfo    Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended    Rima Zaman Mohini    Central Foundation Girls’ School
    Commended     Lucy Vo    Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended    Stephanie Quarty    Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended    Samirah Ahmed    Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School

    Key Stage Four Short Story Winners
    1st    Thasnia Khan    Oaklands Secondary School
    2nd    Mohammed Hassan    Bow School of Maths and Computing
    3rd    Anika Haque    Swanlea Secondary School
    Commended    Ahsan Mahmud    Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing

    Key Stage Four Poetry Winners
    1st    Rahim Choudhury    Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing
    2nd    Mohammad Hamidul Islam    Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing
    3rd    Tahmena Miah    Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School

     

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    About the competition

    The 2014 competition runs from January to April.  Children are invited to choose one of four opening lines and write a short story or poem. The first prize in each key stage and category (short story and poetry) is £50 with additional prizes for runners up and commended entries. All prize-winners are invited to attend a writing workshop with the guest judge.

    This year’s guest judge will be acclaimed author Alan Gibbons.

    An anthology of the winning entries will be published as an electronic book via Amazon to take the children’s work to a worldwide audience, and can also be uploaded to school VLEs and websites.

    This year, the prize-giving ceremony will take place on Monday 16th June at the Clifford Chance Building for the winners and members of their family.

    Posters

    There are four A3 size posters for this year’s competition that will be sent to registered schools from January.

    There are three steps to taking part:

    1. Register your school.  Email schoolslibraryservices@towerhamlets.gov.uk or use the contact form below. The entry fee of £75 for primary schools is payable via SLA online.  The fee for secondary schools is included in their “creative literature” subscription package.
    1. Children write the stories and poems! The stories and poems must start with one of the four opening lines.
    1. Send us your entries by Wednesday 2nd April 2014 for the final judging. Primary schools must send us their shortlist of 10 entries per category. There is no limit to entries from secondary schools.
    Competition Rules

    Closing date: Monday 24th March 2014. Return entries to your English teacher. Entries to reach the Schools Library Services by Wednesday 2nd April for judging.

    Prize Giving: Monday 16th June 2013

    The Competition

    • Write a short story up to 500 words (KS2) 750 words (KS3) or 1000 words (KS4) (may also be in illustrated story or comic book format)
    • Or a poem up to 25 lines (KS2 & KS3) and 35 lines (KS4)
    • You may submit a maximum of one entry in each category

    Entries must start with one of these opening lines:

    1. I jumped out of the window and started running.
    2. Inside the old leather suitcase was a notebook, a pencil, an apple, and…
    3. Looking over the edge of the hole was enough to set your head spinning…
    4. The sky turned black. We stood and waited in silence.

    Who may enter

    • Students in KS2 (years 5 and 6) KS3 and KS4

    Submitted work

    • A completed entry form (emailed to schools) must be attached securely to the front of each entry.
    • Entries must be in English. written or (preferably) typed on one side of the page only, or emailed in Word format
    • Work should be in black or blue ink or text on white paper
    • Illustrations/comic pages should be originals or files scanned at 200 – 300 dpi
    • No Word Art or clipart!
    • Each page should have the entrant’s full name and school written clearly on the back.
    • All entries must be the student’s own work, including all illustrations. Plagiarised writing and artwork will be disqualified.
    • The judge’s decision will be final.

    Returning work

    • We will return fully illustrated work to the applicant’s school if this is requested when the work is submitted
    • We cannot return any other submissions, so please keep your own copy.

    Prizes

    • Prizes of £50, £30 and £20 for first, second and third entries in each category
    • Prizes of £10 for commended entries
    • Commended and winning entries will be published electronically with rights retained by the author
    • All winners will be invited to an exclusive workshop with author Alan Gibbons on Tuesday 17th June

    Published anthology

    • The final published book will be made available from 16th July 2014 on the Amazon Kindle store and other platforms.

    Good luck!

    Previous creative writing competitions:

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  • Must Read Booklist 2014

    Must Read Booklist 2014

    MustRead2014Banner40 of the best new books for your primary school Library

    The Must Read Booklist is our annual selection of the best fiction for primary schools chosen by librarians from the Schools Library Service and primary and secondary schools.
    Titles from the Teen and Primary lists will be chosen for the Book Award Shortlist in July. Don’t forget to register for this event!
    The booklist represents a selection of the best new fiction first published in paperback within the last year, and aims to cover as diverse a range of subjects, genres, authors and interests as possible.
    A set of posters and bookmarks for the booklist will be sent to all subscribing primary schools in early May.
    Please contact the library for any further information about the booklist or to request more posters/ bookmarks (where available)
    View the full list
    • Alexander, William
    Goblin Secrets When Rownie encounters a troupe of goblins who are daring to perform a play – an activity severely outlawed – he is convinced they can help him find his lost brother.
    • Almond, David
    The Boy Who Swam With Piranhas Stanley Potts is just an ordinary boy, but when all the jobs in Fish Quay disappear, he runs away with the fair. He finally has a chance to shine, but will he have the courage to dive into the piranha tank and discover who he can really be?
    • Almond, David
    Mouse, Bird, Snake, Wolf Long ago, the gods created a wonderful world, but they became lazy – they didn’t finish what they had started. Harry Sue and little Ben decide to fill the empty spaces with creations of their own and their creations are more powerful than they or the gods could ever have imagined.
    • Avery, Tom
    In Too Deep Prince and Emanuel are suspicious when a woman claiming to be their mother turns up, and when they find out their father being blackmailed by gangsters in Tanzania, they decide it is time to take matters into their own hands
    • Bowler, Tim
    Sea of Whispers Hetty sees pictures in the sea glass that she collects on Mora’s beaches, her remote island home. After a fearful storm, a strange woman is washed up on the shore. Is this the person that Hetty sees in the sea glass? But the stranger brings disaster and Hetty must decide to leave her island home for ever.
    • Caldecott, Elen
    The Great Ice-Cream Heist The McIntyre family next door are noisy and argumentative but Eva is intrigued by Jamie who sits on the shed roof to escape the chaos. When Jamie is accused of vandalising the local park, Eva rushes to his aid with the help of a local ice cream van. A funny adventure about sticking up for your friends.
    • Cole, Steve
    Magic Ink 12-year-old Stewart Penders loves comics. Granddad, a great comic book artist has just died, and when his family move into his house, strange things start to happen. When Stew starts drawing with a mysterious pot of ink, his artwork springs into life – and so begins a hilarious adventure.
    • Cossanteli, Veronic
    The Extincts George loves to help at Wormestall Farm, even though it’s full of extinctly scary creatures. When Mortifer the giant basilisk goes missing, it’s up to George to find him before wicked taxidermist Diamond Pye can add to her stuffed animal collection …
    • Creech, Sharon
    The Great Unexpected Naomi and Lizzie are both orphans and live in the same little town in America. Curious events start to unfold when they meet a strangely charming new boy, Finn, who changes their world forever.
    • Davies, Nicola
    Whale boy When a terrible storm wrecks his home and his dreams of owning his own boat, Michael is forced to take a job working for a rich, mysterious newcomer named Spargo. But on the plus side, the job brings Michael into contact with whales….
    • Diamand, Emily
    Ways to see a ghost Isis is the daughter of a fake psychic, but unlike her mother, she really can see ghosts, and the ghosts she can see are putting everyone in danger….
    • Gardner, Sally
    The Vanishing of Billy Buckle The famous fairy detective agency, Wings and Co, has a big problem. The giant Billy Buckle is missing and his daughter Primrose is desperate to find him. There’s also the small case of a murder and a missing diamond to keep the team busy – nothing is ever quiet for Emily, Buster and Fidget!
    • Goodhart, Pippa
    Finding Fortune When Ida’s mother dies, she is left in the care of her beloved Fa. But Fa plans to travel to the Klondike in search of gold and Ida must find a way to go with him. The long hard journey will test them to the limit but will help them build the future together.
    • Hartley, Steve
    Oliver Fibbs: Attack of the Alien Brain Oliver has been telling the class about his adventures as a Defender of Planet Earth – battling against the evil Alien Brain Drain who wants to take over the world. Everyone loved it except Miss Wilkins, who gave him a detention for telling fibs. He keeps telling them – THEY’RE NOT FIBS, THEY’RE STORIES!
    • Hussey, William
    The Nightmare Eater Imagine what happens when your very worst fears come true! That’s what happens to Tomasz when he visits the fairground.
    • Jones, Rob Lloyd
    Wild Boy London, 1841. Behold the savage spectacle of Wild Boy. A boy covered in hair, raised as a monster, condemned to life in a travelling freak show. He’s a boy accused of murder; on the run; hungry for the truth. Ladies and Gentlemen, take your seats. The show is about to begin!
    • Kemp, Ann
    The Great Brain Robbery Frankie and his pals are trying to save the world from another diabolical scheme by the evil Dr Gore. This time he’s planning to control the minds of children everywhere using his army of robot toys! Can Frankie and his friends stop him before it’s too late?
    • Kessler, Liz
    North of Nowhere The sleepy seaside village of Porthaven hides a mystery. Mia’s granddad has vanished and nobody knows why. Mia makes friends with a local girl Dee through her diary but never seems to be able to meet her. Can Mia solve the mystery and find her granddad in time?
    • LaFleur, Suzanne M.
    Listening for Lucca Siena’s younger brother Lucca hasn’t spoken for over a year. When the family move to Maine their new home feels hauntingly familiar and Siena starts to experience flashes from the past about the family who used to live there. Can the secrets of the past help Siena break her brother’s silence?
    • Lee, Julia
    The Mysterious Misadventures of Clemency Wrigglesworth Clemency is an orphan and alone in the world when she arrives in Southampton from India. Clemency sets out to find her rich relatives with the help of the marvellous Marvels and what happens next is fast and furious adventure.
    • Lewis, Gill
    Moon Bear Tam’s life is turned around when his family is moved from their mountain and he is sent to the city to work on a bear farm. Tam learns the horrors of bear farming but builds a close relationship with one young bear and the story tells of their struggle to get away from the city and back to their families.
    • Lowery, Mark
    Pants Are Everything : … When You’re Definitely NOT a Nudist A date with the girl of Michael’s dreams ends with him a) getting arrested, b) becoming a local celebrity and c) becoming an internet sensation BECAUSE THEY THINK HE’S A NUDIST. (He isn’t.) Michael is swept up in a sequence of uncontrollable events that will RUIN HIS LIFE. Again.
    • McCaughrean, Geraldine
    The Positively Last Performance Gracie moves to the seaside with her parents who want to take over the shuttered and decaying Royal Theatre, which comes complete with a motley collection of ghosts that only Gracie can see. The old theatre is under threat, can Gracie and her friends be able to save it from being burnt down?
    • McKay, Hilary
    Caddy’s World The Casson Family saga begins when Caddy is twelve, and Rose just a baby. The Casson family is eccentric, but lovable, and this warm and humorous story describes the trials and tribulations of growing up and family life.
    • Mitchelhill, Barbara
    A Twist of Fortune When Pa goes off to America and Ma dies, the Pargeter children find themselves in dangerous Victorian London with a strange aunt and uncle. But this is only the start of the twists and turns their lives will take as Sam, Eliza and Alfie set out in search of a rich grandfather they have never known . . .
    • Morgan, Gaby
    Poems of the First World War A new collection to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.
    • Poskitt, Kjartan
    Agatha Parrot and the Thirteenth Chicken Agatha Parrot and her friends are up to mischief again. A new term starts at Odd Street School and they have some newly hatched chicks to look after, but one disappears. Panic! Where could he be?
    • Preller, James
    Home Sweet Horror Liam’s family have moved into a run-down old house in a new town, but it is not as empty as they think, and Bloody Mary is just dying to get to them….
    • Prue, Sally
    Song Hunter The future of Mica’s Neanderthal clan is uncertain as the weather gets colder and the mammoths get fewer. Mica is full of new ideas to help them survive but they are stubborn and want to cling to the old ways. Then she makes an extraordinary discovery and sets out with her childhood friend to find a better life.
    • Reeve, Philip
    Oliver and the Seawigs Oliver has grown up in a family of explorers but when he has to rescue his parents he begins a big adventure all of his own. But before he can put his rescue plan into action there’s the evil Stacey de Lacey and an army of pesky sea monkeys to contend with.
    • Riddell, Chris
    Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse Ada Goth lives in Ghastly-Gorm Hall with her strange father, Lord Goth, numerous ghosts and an array of servants. One night everything changes when Ada meets the ghost of a mouse called Ishmael. There’s trouble afoot, and he and Ada are the only ones who can solve the mystery.
    • Rundell, Katherine
    Rooftoppers When baby Sophie is rescued from a shipwreck, everyone assumes she is an orphan. But Sophie is convinced that her mother survived and sets out to find her in an exciting race against the authorities across the rooftops of Paris. Will she find her mother before it’s too late?
    • Sedgwick, Marcus
    Dread Desert Elf Girl and Raven Boy are hot and bothered in the desert as they battle to save the world from the wicked Goblin King
    • Shaw, Hannah
    Stan Stinky Stan Pipe Stinky has to come to the rescue when Uncle Ratts and his sidekick Roachy disappear up a u-bend into the terrifying unknown …a HUMAN HOUSE.
    • Silberberg, Alan
    Cartoon Kings Wouldn’t it be cool if you had a magic pen and all your cartoons come to life? That’s just what happened to Craz and Matt, but beware, mistakes cannot easily be rubbed out!
    • Smith, Dan
    My Friend the Enemy It’s 1941 and a German plane crashes near Peter’s home – but what can Peter do to help the injured pilot he finds trapped inside?
    • Sparkes, Ali
    Out of this World The glowing lump of metal that Ty finds in the woods seem to give him amazing powers, but problems start when those powers attract the attention of sinister agents intent on capturing him.
    • Stead, Rebecca
    Liar & Spy When Georges moves into a new apartment block he joins the Spy Club and becomes a trainee spy for twelve year old Safer, spying on the mysterious Mr X who lives in the flat upstairs. But how far do you go for your new friend. What is a game and what is a lie?
    • Torday, Piers
    The Last Wild In a world where few animals have survived, twelve-year-old Kester Jaynes is extraordinary… he can hear animals talk to him. They need his help and pigeons fly Kester to a wild place where the last creatures in the land have survived. Together they must embark on a great journey to save the animals.
    • Wilson, Anna
    I’m a Chicken, Get Me Out of Here! Titch the Chicken finds herself in the chaotic and wacky household of Wilf and his menagerie of pets – and wants out… but when danger threatens, can she leave without helping the others?
    [associated_posts]
  • SLS-UK School Library Award

    SLS-UK School Library Award

    Schools in Tower Hamlets, Hackney and other authorities the opportunity to accredit their library service via our award scheme.

    Current Gold Library Award Holders
    • Globe Primary School (Gold Award), Tower Hamlets.
    • Central Foundation Girls Secondary (Gold Award), Tower Hamlets.

     

    Current Award Holders
    • Lawdale Primary School, Tower Hamlets.
    • Chisenhale Primary School, Tower Hamlets.

     What is the award?

     Launched in 2012, the SLS School Library Award was initiated by Warwickshire Schools Library Service and are now available to all schools through SLS-UK. It enables any primary or secondary school to work towards achieving a Library award or the Gold version for high-achieving services.

     The award is a self-assessment process conducted by the designated member of staff in charge of the library and endorsed by the Head Teacher.  It is an audit of 20 key activities with supporting documentation where necessary.

     Schools record across three levels how their library service is operating in a range of activities and services:

     Developing      Establishing     Enhancing

     An award is given to a school where the library is achieving 10 or more separate activities / services in the ‘establishing’ and/or ‘enhancing’ category. A Gold award is given for 15 or more services in the ‘enhancing’ category only.

    How do schools apply?

    Order your pack when you subscribe to Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service using SLA online, or, for schools outside Tower Hamlets, email schoolslibraryservices@towerhamlets.gov.uk for an application pack, marking your subject line Tower Hamlets SLS School Library Award

    Please ensure your full name, job title and school name are in the body of the email.

     The award is open to all schools.  If you are from an area where there is a nearer schools library service, we may pass your request on to them.

    • Schools subscribing to Tower Hamlets Schools Library Services:  £50
    • Schools not subscribing to our service,  but have membership of the School Library Association: £60
    • All other schools:  £70.

    We will send you the pack together with an invoice for the fee, unless you pay via SLA online.

    Using the audit sheet in the pack, the designated library or literacy specialist will need to complete the assessment form and return it to us signed by him/herself as well as the head teacher.

    Staff from the Schools Library Service will assess the submission and make an award to the school via a certificate as appropriate. Their decision is final, but a school will usually be welcome to re-submit following a minimum six-month gap

    [associated_posts]

  • Wonder : Creative Writing Competition 2013

    Wonder : Creative Writing Competition 2013

    Contact us about the competition
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    WonderBanner

    Winners from a record number of primary and secondary schools in Tower Hamlets gathered in the hospitality suite of the Clifford Chance offices in Canary Wharf to collect their prizes for the 2013 Tower Hamlets Creative Writing Competition.

    The competition, an annual event run by the Tower Hamlets Schools Library Service, is for poetry and short stories and is open to pupils aged 9 to 16.

    First-place prizes, winning £50, were awarded to Niamh Bush from Guardian Angels Primary School, Priya Begum from John Scurr Primary School, Tahira Chowdhury from Central Foundation Girls’ School, Caitlin Finnerty from Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School, Jaydeen Lee Kusi from Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School and Tania Begum from Oaklands Secondary School, and were awarded by Josh Lacey, author of Island of Thieves and the Dragonsitter series, who judged the work this year.

    Prizes were also collected by children from Bow School of Maths and Computing, Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing, Morpeth Secondary School, and primary schools Globe , Hague , Our Lady, Cayley, Lansbury Lawrence , Bangabandhu, Thomas Buxton, Osmani , St Paul with St Luke’s, Chisenhale and Canon Barnett.

    Key Stage Two Short Story Winners
    1st Priya Begum John Scurr Primary School
    2nd Syeda Inayah Zisha Hague Primary School
    3rd Martina Irurita Guardian Angels Primary School
    Commended Tullia Galizia Globe Primary School
    Commended Sonny Bissessar St Paul with St Luke Primary School
    Commended Emmanuel Lwanga Our Lady Primary
    Commended Allegra Freeman Chisenhale Primary School
    Commended Rahema Begum Bangahandhu Primary School
    Commended Aakifah Ahmed Chisenhale Primary School
    Commended Nusaybah Al-Mamun Thomas Buxton Primary School
    Commended Yamin Chowdhury Osmani Primary School
    Key Stage Two Poetry Winners
    1st Niamh Bush Guardian Angels Primary School
    2nd Inaya Zaman Hague Primary School
    3rd Massammath Khadija Begum John Scurr Primary School
    Commended Ellie Lowe St Paul with St Luke Primary School
    Commended Saymon Mebrahtu St Paul with St Luke
    Commended Shania Mahmood Our Lady Primary School
    Commended Shuchi Quddus Cayley Primary School
    Commended Thomas Dowden Guardian Angels Primary School
    Commended Naifah Choudhury Canon Barnett Primary
    Commended Alisha Ali Lansbury Lawrence Primary School
    Key Stage Three Short Story Winners
    1st Caitlin Finnerty Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    2nd Vicky Tham Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    3rd Michael Duke Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended Sofia Heustice Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended Kobe Mendoza Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended Shaun Odili Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended Adiba Borsha Oaklands Secondary School
    Commended Soliman Rabie Stepney Green School of Maths and Computing
    Key Stage Three Poetry Winners
    1st Tahira Chowdhury Central Foundation Girls’ School
    2nd Karimah Nuha Firdaws Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School
    3rd Naznina Begum Oaklands Secondary School
    Commended Jadie Phillips Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School
    Commended Samiya Rahman Central Foundation Girls’ School
    Key Stage Four Short Story Winners
    1st Tania Begum Oaklands Secondary School
    2nd Daniel Fisher Bow School of Maths and Computing
    3rd Maryam Chowdhury Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School
    Commended Albert Wright Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate School
    Commended Akashi Alam Morpeth Secondary School
    Commended Tasrin Chowdhury Oaklands Secondary School
    Key Stage Four Poetry Winners
    1st Jaydeen Lee Kusi Sir John Cass Foundation and Redcoat School
    2nd Meaghan Coughlan Leon Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate Girls School
    3rd Beauty Ohlamini Bishop Challoner Catholic Collegiate Girls School
    Commended Hamza Uddin Bow School of Maths and Computing
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