On Tuesday 9th October, we welcomed our Patron of Reading, Jo Cotterill, once again to DGS. The day began with 8YLH enjoying some well-deserved cake and hot chocolate with Jo, as a reward for having read 569 books between them over the course of last year - more than any other tutor group!

Jo then gave a very funny talk to Year 7 about her journey to becoming an author, in which they helped to contribute ideas for a story, using the same method that Jo uses when she is planning her books. It was amazing to see so many hands in the air, with students eager to share their creative thoughts.

In the afternoon, selected Year 7 and 8 students took part in workshops with Jo, in which they wrote poetry inspired by that written by the lead character her latest book, 'Jelly'. The students produce some amazing poems, which particularly impressive given the limited time, and it was fantastic to hear these read aloud as they shared their work with one another.

All of Jo's books are available from the library, although there might be a bit of a queue, as so many of our students are currently enjoying them!