Tag: Secondary Schools

  • 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…)

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  • Teen Booklist 2015

    Teen Booklist 2015

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    40 of the best new books for your collection.

    The Teenage Booklist is selected annually by librarians from the Schools Library Service and secondary schools.

    Titles from the Teen and Primary lists will be chosen for the Book Award Shortlist in July. Remember to let us know if you want to participate in this event!

    The list 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.

    Posters and bookmarks will be sent to subscribing secondary schools from May.

    Please contact the library for more information on the Teen List or to request additional posters or bookmarks (subscribing schools only).

    View the full list
    Axelsson, Carina Model under Cover Despite being the hottest new model on the circuit, Axelle is also really good at solving mysteries, so when a fabulous diamond goes missing, Axelle is on the case!
    Berry, Julie All the Truth that’s in Me After being missing for two years, Judith returns home to her small pioneer community with her tongue cut out. No-one knows what happened to her and she cannot tell anyone, so people assume the worst. There is only one person whose opinion she values – but he is courting someone else…
    Booth, Anne Girl with a White Dog Jessie is learning about Nazi Germany and World War Two at school, but what has this got to do with the white Alsatian puppy that her Gran gets, and why is her Gran so troubled?
    Colfer, Eoin Warp: the Reluctant Assassin History’s deadliest magician has escaped Victorian London and landed here in the present with deadly plans up his sleeve – can Chevie, the FBI’s youngest special agent, do anything to stop him?
    Brahmachari, Sita Red Leaves Aisha is devastated to be leaving her foster mother, Zac is struggling to cope with his parents’ divorce and Iona’s family fell apart and now she finds herself living on the streets. These three lives are about to become entwined.
    Brugman, Alyssa Alex as Well Alex was born intersex and brought up as a boy, but always felt somewhat different and wrong in her chosen body. Spurred on by these feelings Alex decides to stop taking her pills and become the girl that had been there all along – not always an easy journey.
    Buxton, J. P. (Jamie P.) Temple Boys It’s 33AD and Flea, a beggar and wannabe gang member, is living rough on the streets of Jerusalem. Attempting a heist on a visiting magician, he is plunged into a world of betrayal and power struggles.
    Campbell-Johnston, Rachel The Child’s Elephant Can you imagine what it must be like to be snatched from your home and forced to serve in the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda? That is what happened to Bat and his best friend.  But Bat has an ally – a baby elephant, Meya, who he rescued but now in the wild – Can Meya come to his aid?
    Carthew, Natasha Winter Damage A gripping and atmospheric thriller set on a remote Cornish moor in winter. Ennor is struggling to look after her family in a caravan, but when circumstances take a turn for the worse she sets out to get help, a decision that will dramatically change her life
    Casale, Alexia The Bone Dragon Evie’s shattered ribs have been a secret for the last four years. Now she has found the strength to tell her adoptive parents, and the physical traces of her past are fixed – the only remaining signs a scar on her side and a fragment of bone taken home from the hospital, which she carves into a dragon which seems to take on a life of its own…
    Davis, Ben The Private Blog of Joe Cowley Joe Cowley’s made sure that his blog is set to private – no way does he want this to go viral. Fed up with his friends trying to kill him to get £250 from “You’ve Been Framed”, it’s time for him to sort his life out…
    Dowswell, Paul Red Shadow Set in Moscow in 1941 with the Germans advancing, two brave Russian boys are forced to battle against Stalin’s dreaded secret police.
    Earle, Phil The Bubble Wrap Boy Charlie’s GOT to be good at something, and he wants that something to be skateboarding – his ticket to popularity. He’s just got to keep it secret from his Mum, who is hiding secrets of her own…
    Easton, T. S. Boys Don’t Knit Following an unfortunate incident with a lollipop lady and a stolen bottle of Martini Rosso, Ben is ordered to give something back to the community. The hot teacher he likes runs a knitting group so Ben, reluctantly at first, gets ‘stuck in’. He just needs to keep it all a secret from his mates and to notice that girl-next-door Megan Hooper has a bit of a thing for him.
    Gaiman, Neil The Museum of Unnatural History Presents Unnatural Creatures Welcome to the menagerie – creatures extraordinary,exotic, extinct, living, dead and undead prowl the pages of this book!
    Gibbons, Alan Hate A girl is murdered one night for no other reason than how she looked. Six months later, Anthony, who witnessed the murder, meets Eve; sister to the murdered girl. The same girl he could have saved. Eve is bitter and full of hatred. She hates the people that killed Rosie. She hates Anthony for not doing anything. Most of all, she hates people who hate.
    Gourlay, Candy Shine A girl living on the dark Asian island of Mirasol, which is rife with superstitions and taboos, is shunned by the other islanders, but, not wanting to leave, she manages to strike up a friendship on the internet.
    Haddix, Margaret Full Ride Becca thought her life was over when her father was sent to prison for embezzlement. It didn’t help when he used her as his excuse: “How else is a guy like me supposed to send his daughter to college?” She and her mother fled their town and their notoriety to start over, but the past has a habit of coming back to haunt you.
    Hearn, Julie Dance of the Dark Heart Jack has good looks, lots of charm and oozes talent – and a voice in his head prompting him to commit acts of extraordinary evil, but he is determined not to be separated from his one true love.
    Herrndorf, Wolfgang; Mohr, Tim Why WeTtook the Car Misfits Tschick and Mike suddenly decide to take a road-trip, with no particular destination in mind. the thrills, encounters and scrapes they get involved in along the way ensure that they can no longer be looked upon as ‘boring’. Winner of the German Teen Literature Prize.
    Holland, L.Tam The Counterfeit Family Tree of Vee Crawford-Wong With his parents stubborn about telling him about his heritage, Vee makes up a whole new family tree for a school assignment, including a forged letter from is supposed grandfather inviting him to visit him in China – and suddenly he is off to meet his new extended family!
    Kazerooni, Abbas On Two Feet and Wings Close to his tenth birthday, Abbas has to leave his parents and friends to escape Tehran. The Iran-Iraq War is at its bloodiest. If Abbas doesn’t leave soon, he will have to join the army and go to war. In the strange and often frightening city of Istanbul, Abbas has to grow up fast. An amazing true story.
    Lingard, Joan Trouble on Cable Street London 1936: riots are brewing in the East End of London. With one brother running away to fight in Spain and the other lured by the increasing powerful fascist movement, Isabella is faced with a conflict of her own.
    McCaughrean, Geraldine The Middle of Nowhere When a deadly snake kills her mother, Comity’s life in the Australian outback changes for ever. She turns to the yard boy for friendship. Skinny little Fred is a storyteller by nature and delights Comity with his Aboriginal tales. But a new employee arrives with a crystal-topped cane and a cruel eye for sport, and Comity’s home becomes as dangerous as the landscape
    McKenzie, Sophie The One and Only Eve has been sent away to school in Spain to keep her out of Luke’s arms. Lonely without her, Luke turns to someone else…But then Eve turns up, wanting to take their relationship to the next stage. She wants Luke to be her ‘first’. She thought she was Luke’s one and only – he just wishes she was…
    Murdoch, Emily If You Find Me A  camper van hidden deep in a forest is the only home fifteen-year-old Carey and her sister can remember. All they have is each other, as their mentally ill mother comes and goes with greater frequency. Until one fateful day when their mother disappears for good, and the girls are found by their father. Now, Carey must come to terms with the truth of why their mother spirited them away ten years ago…
    Mussi, Sarah Riot Too many people – not enough money, so the government decides to force the sterilisation of all school leavers without university places or guaranteed employment. The country is aghast, but the politicians are unshakeable. It’s time for the young to take to the streets. It’s time for them to RIOT
    Ness, Patrick More than This Seth drowns, desperate and alone. But then he wakes. Naked, thirsty, starving. But alive. And where is he? The street seems familiar, but everything is abandoned, overgrown, covered in dust. He remembers dying, his skull bashed against the rocks. Has he woken up in his own personal hell? Is there more to this life, or perhaps this afterlife?
    Robert, Naima B. She Wore Red Trainers Ali and Amirah can’t stop thinking about each other – but they both want to be good Muslims and Amirah wants to abide by her family’s choice of husband for her – can Ali and Amirah ever be together?
    Rosoff, Meg Picture Me Gone Mila has an exceptional talent for discerning the truth and making sense of clues. So when her father’s best friend, Matthew, goes missing, Mila’s skills are needed. But just when she’s closest to solving the mystery, a shocking betrayal calls into question her trust in the one person she thought she could read best.
    Sáenz, Benjamin Alire Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe Two Oddball teenagers, with seemingly little in common, forge a special friendship, which changes their views on life. Great characters, engaging and often hilarious
    Sedgwick, Marcus She is not Invisible Laureth sets out to find her father, a famous writer, who has gone missing in America, taking her little brother Benjamin with her. Ahead lie challenges and threats, all of which are that much tougher for Laureth than they would be for any other 16-year old, because Laureth is blind.
    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…..
    Sutcliffe, William The Wall The Wall divides Israeli and Palestinian communities – when Joshua finds a secret tunnel that goes under it, he is too curious not to go through it. What he finds changes him forever
    Takoudes, Greg When We Wuz Famous Francisco Ortiz is excited to be leaving Spanish Harlem in New York on a scholarship to an elite boarding school. His future seems promising. But his new classmates assume the worst and pepper him with questions about drugs and gangs. It’s made even more complicated when Francisco realizes that back home in the hood, he no longer fits in. In a desperate attempt to keep friendships, Francisco makes a terrible decision.
    Vacco, Corina My Chemical Mountain Although they ride their bikes in the wasteland and swim in the now-orange river, the teenagers hate the chemical company that has made polluted their town, and vow revenge, but is it that easy?
    Walsh, Aoife Look After Me When your parents are foster carers, life can become a little hectic, so when Phoebe and her brother Adam find an abandoned baby in the garden shed, it seems sensible to look after the baby themselves…
    Williamson, Lisa The Art of Being Normal Two boys. Two secrets. David has always been an outsider. His parents think he’s gay. The school bully thinks he’s a freak. Only his two best friends know the real truth – David wants to be a girl. On the first day at his new school Leo Denton only wants be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in year 11 is definitely not part of that plan. When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms.
    Yousafzai, Malala; McCormick, Patricia Malala: the girl who stood up for education and changed the world Malala Yousafzai was only ten years old when the Taliban took control of her country and refused to allow girls to go to school. Malala was shot for fighting for her right to be educated. This is her story.
    Zephaniah, Benjamin Terror Kid Rico loves computers and he is brilliant at fixing them. And at hacking… Rico also believes in protest – but he hates trouble and does everything he can to avoid it. But he makes one terrible mistake and now must prove his innocence when the police are accusing him of terrorism and murder.

    Poster and bookmark design by Angela Wraight

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  • Tower Hamlets Book Award 2014

    Tower Hamlets Book Award 2014

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    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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  • KS3 & 4 Poetry Slam 2014

    KS3 & 4 Poetry Slam 2014

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    TH SLAM final flyer 2014The KS3 Poetry Slam 2014 finale took place today, Thursday 3rd July at Wilton’s Music Hall.  The event was the final showcase for Tower Hamlets participants from Swanlea, Sir John Cass, Stepney Green, Bow Boys, and Morpeth Secondary Schools.  Winners go on to participate in the Poetry Society’s national Slambassadors UK events.

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    All the performers at the close of the event
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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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  • THe Teen List 2014

    THe Teen List 2014

    TheList2014banner40 of the best new books for your collection.

    The Teenage Booklist is selected annually by librarians from the Schools Library Service and secondary schools.

    Titles from the Teen and Primary lists will be chosen for the Book Award Shortlist in July. Remember to let us know if you want to participate!

    The list 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.

    Posters and bookmarks will be sent to subscribing secondary schools from May.

    Please contact the library for more information on the Teen List or to request additional posters or bookmarks (where available).

    View the full list
    • Barroux
    Line of Fire: Diary of an Unknown Soldier (August, September 1914) A moving personal account of the First World War, beautifully illustrated.
    • Blaxill, Gina
    Saving Silence A gripping thriller set in the East End of London – Sam’s life is in danger, but who can she trust?
    • Brahmachari, Sita
    Kite Spirit Coming to terms with a best friend’s suicide is hard indeed. Kite’s spirit has been broken – will it ever mend?
    • Brooks, Kevin
    The Bunker Diary Why is Linus in a building with no doors and windows? The only way in or out seems to be a lift, and if it’s moving, who is in it?
    • Bryce, Celia
    Anthem for Jackson Dawes In hospital for the first time for treatment for her brain tumour, Megan finds funny, cute, rebellious Jackson Dawes there already, keen to show her the ropes
    • Melvin, Burgess
    The Hit A new drug is going around – Death. It gives you a huge rush for a week, and then it kills you. Adam’s life is rubbish, so why not take it? Not for the faint-hearted!
    • Cassidy, Anne
    Finding Jennifer Jones Sequel to “looking for JJ”, the guilt Jennifer carries inside her cannot be masked by her new name and new identity as a university student, so even if she can avoid the media, can she come to terms with herself?
    • Charlton-Trujillo, E.E
    Fat Angie The new girl, KC, is beautiful, hip and smart and everyone wants to know her, so what does she want with overweight and messed-up Fat Angie?
    • Christopher, Lucy
    The Killing Woods A murdered girl, a world war two bunker, a crazy night – what happened to Aimee? Damon and Emily must piece together the evidence if Emily’s dad is to avoid conviction for murder
    • Coley, Liz
    Pretty Girl Thirteen Angie is amazed to learn that she has been missing for three years – she can’t remember anything – but someone else can…
    • Crockett, S. D. (Sophie D.)
    One Crow Alone Magda and Ivan, illegal immigrants from Poland, need all their cunning and know-how to survive in an unwelcoming and hostile London
    • Cross, Gillian
    After Tomorrow Banks have failed, food prices are rocketing, there’s no money. Armed robbers are targeting anyone who is hoarding food, so Matt and his family realise that their only option is to get through the Channel Tunnel and seek refuge on the continent – but can they cope with life as refugees?
    • Doherty, Berlie
    The Company of Ghosts Footsteps, shadows strange lights, a haunting song: more and more Emily realises she is not alone on this beautiful island
    • Earle, Phil
    Heroic When Jammy comes home on leave from the war in Afghanistan, his experiences have scarred him. His brother, Sonny, left behind on the housing estate of their boyhood home, is the only one who can see that there’s something wrong
    • Flood, C. J.
    Infinite Sky Iris is curious about a group of travellers that arrive and, despite the things her alcoholic dad and always-angry brother say about them, makes friends with Trick. But it’s only so long before tensions build up between Iris’s family and the travellers that threatens to destroy everyone
    • Gardner, Sally
    Maggot Moon A boy with one green eye and one blue eye has no chance of staying out of trouble in a world where conformity is paramount – but there is more originality in Standish than just his eyes
    • Gibbons, Alan
    Raining Fire Sport or crime – the two choices most people have on the estate where Alex and Ethan live. Ethan gets the opportunity to leave for football training, but where does that leave Alex?
    • Grant, Neil
    The Ink Bridge Omed makes the perilous journey from Afghanistan to Australia to seek asylum from the Taliban and the horrors he has witnessed, and meets Hector, silenced by grief, at the candle factory where they both work, but other secrets are lurking.
    • Green, John
    The Fault in Our Stars Hazel’s cancer has never been anything other than terminal, but her life is further turned upside-down by the arrival of the gorgeous Augustus and their crossing paths with a reclusive Dutch author…
    • Herne, Lily
    Deadlands Cape Town, South Africa. First there was the apocalypse, then the remaining humans found themselves penned in and protected from the zombies – but who are their mysterious guardians?
    • Hiaasen, Carl
    Chomp Wahoo’s lost in the everglades, with alligators, snakes, bats and a crazy survival TV show star for company, not to mention a gun-toting father looking for his runaway daughter…
    • Hooper, Mary
    The Disgrace of Kitty Grey Regency England. Sent on an errand to London, Kitty takes the opportunity to search for her missing sweetheart. Out of her depth in the city, she is at the mercy of both the criminals and justice system.
    • Hussey, William
    Haunted Someone in the town of Milton Lake is using the Ghost Machine to call the spirits of the dead back to our world. Only Emma and the mysterious Nicholas can find out who is coming…
    • Johnson, Catherine
    Sawbones It’s 1792 and the illegal trade in dead bodies to doctors and dissection tables has never been more profitable, but are the corpses piling up a little too regularly…
    • Kuehn, Stephanie
    Charm and Strange Andrew Winston Winters is his own mystery. Is he Win, a self-exiled loner. Or is he Drew, with anger, violence and a secret that is destroying both of them.
    • Levithan, David
    Every day Every day I wake up as someone else. New body. New life. After 16 years I’ve got used to it. Usually I don’t make any waves, but now I’ve met someone I want to be with for more than one day.
    • Lott, Tim
    How to be invisible Strato Nyman, age 13, has learned to become invisible. He already knows more about particle physics than any teacher, but now he’s about to learn a bit more about the people around him.
    • McDowell, Nigel
    Tall Tales from Pitch End Pitch end is a brooding town of one-footed ravens and clockwork sentries. But it’s Bruno’s home and he knows his place, or at least he did until he discovers a book belonging to his murdered father.
    • McGowan, Anthony
    Brock Nicky’s mum has gone and his dad is on bail. One night his brother drags him out to witness a local gang setting their dogs on a family of badgers. Appalled, Nicky makes a decision that will change all of their lives.
    • McKenzie, Sophie
    Missing Me Madison and Lauren learn that their biological father was an anonymous sperm donor and set out to track him down. Her search bears fruit sooner than she expects, but is the father she discovers all he seems?
    • Motion, Andrew
    Silver:Rreturn to Treasure Island Young Jim Hawkins has grown up listening to his father’s tales of Treasure Island, but he is unprepared to be summoned to London by the infamous Long John Silver, to accompany his daughter Natty and return to claim the rest of Flint’s lost treasure…
    • Nicholls, Sally
    Close Your Pretty Eyes Olivia knows that she is evil; she’s had fifteen homes already so of course nobody wants her. So as soon as sets foot in the next one she knows that something bad is going to happen.
    • Nowra, Louis
    Into That Forest Stranded in the forest, Hannah and Becky come to love their life with the tigers – so why do the men want to take them away?
    • Pitcher, Annabel
    Ketchup Clouds Zoe writes letters to a death row prisoner, slowly revealing the sequence of events that led up to the terrible act she believes she has committed.
    • Pratchett, Terry
    Dodger Dodger is a scavenger living in squalor in Dickensian London, but he knows the ropes and knows how not to get caught – but when he rescues a young girl from being beaten, he suddenly has to learn new tricks…
    • Schneider, Robyn
    Severed Heads, Broken Hearts Ezra’s perfect life and athletic ambitions are shattered when a reckless driver mows him down. Struggling to come to terms with what has happened, he thinks things can’t get any worse –or can they?
    • Sedgwick, Marcus
    Dark Satanic Mills Framed for a murder she did not commit, Christie has to run for her life. Set in a near-future Britain, her journey takes from the flooded landmarks of London to the vast, scorched and abandoned hills of the north.
    • Smale, Holly
    Geek Girl / Geek Girl Model Misfit Two stories about Geeky Harriet, who knows a lot about a lot of things and can’t work out why people don’t like her. The one thing she doesn’t know is how to handle boys….
    • Terry, Teri
    Slated Kyla’s mind has been wiped – the government say she has been given a second chance after her life as a terrorist, but the truth lurks tantalisingly out of reach… first book in a trilogy.
    • Whyman, Matt
    The Savages Apart from the fact that they are cannibals, the Savages are an ordinary loving family, but for Sasha to have a boyfriend who is vegetarian…. Well, no-one can quite understand it!
    [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
    [associated_posts]
  • About the Secondary School Poetry Slam

    About the Secondary School Poetry Slam

    Slam is the competitive art of performance poetry, rapping or emceeing (with or without beatbox, but with no backing track), where artists slam it out over a hot microphone in front of a loud and lively audience – and a panel of judges made up of professionals in the field.

    “Before Slam I was getting excluded from school and was the BIGGEST underachiever in my year group. I was in all sorts of different types of trouble but you lot gave me a chance to excel and rise about that, and for that I thank you…… Since slam I have been doing all sorts of crazy things and have gone so far beyond my expectations and imagination.”

    Hussain Manawer, ex-SLAMbassadors UK participant, now Poetry Mentor

    Schools will receive

    The Tower Hamlets Poetry Slam consists of a 2 full-day workshops in your school led by a well-known poet or spoken word artist. The first day will feature a performance from the poet, look at poetic techniques, writing stimulus, beatbox, and writing a poem or rap piece around a common theme. The second day focuses on performance skills and rehearsals.

    The Slam finale is a half-day of performance on stage at a theatre with all participating school groups in attendance. Schools can each bring up to 30 students along to cheer on the performers!

    Why take part?

    The Slam is about more than exploring poetry, it’s about your students exploring identity, self-expression and self-confidence. Over the years Tower Hamets schools have produced performance poets of incredible talent who have gone on to national acclaim.

    I learned who I am.

    I learned that my voice can be heard.

    The most valuable aspect was learning how to express feelings that you may not know you have.

    Joelle was great and taught us loads also it really improved my self-esteem; and I found out that dyslexia doesn’t stop you from doing everything.

    I learned how to make my feelings heard.

    I have found me. I have learned that I can be proud of my work.

    Comments about the workshops from the students

    Register

    Sign up via your school’s SLA Online portal. Contact the Schools Library Services for more information about this event.

    • Tel : 020 7364 6428
    • email : schoolslibraryservices@towerhamlets.gov.uk