Poets in Schools

The Poetry Society has been organising poet placements in schools for over 30 years.

Below you'll find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about visiting poets, which should help with any plans you're making to work with a poet in your school or organisation.

To find the answer to your question quickly and easily, please use the menu to your right entitled FAQ.

Why invite a poet into our school?

Inviting a poet into your school:

  • is inspiring and exciting for pupils and teachers
  • encourages pupils to write and to see writing as worthwhile
  • supports the teaching of both writing and reading
  • pays dividends in pupils' development right across the curriculum, particularly in terms of planning, drafting and revising work
  • encourages awareness of styles, imagery, structure and audience
  • promotes the sharing of ideas and approaches
  • helps children to learn how inspiration is derived from a very wide range of sources
  • provides a fresh awareness of the process and purpose of creative writing
  • gives pupils the opportunity to think about how a poem is created and where it all begins and ends
  • promotes the idea of writing as a profession and poets as real people

Where do I begin with organising a poet visit?

Before finding a poet to bring into your school, it's important that you have some idea of what you're looking for in a poet, and what you would like your students to gain from their visit.

Try answering the following questions as specifically as possible:

  • In terms of the poet's visit - would you be looking for a one day visit or a longer-term residency?

    During a one day visit the poet might typically do an introductory reading/assembly, and then three writing workshops (covering 3 double lessons) for particular classes/groups. A longer-term residency can be anything from 3-5 days in length to a term or even a year. If you are planning a longer-term visit, it is always useful to contact the Poetry Society directly at 020 7420 9889 or by email to discuss the options.
  • Which Year groups would you want the poet to work with?
  • How many students do you envisage being in a workshop with the poet at one time?
  • When would you like the visit to take place? (Try to be as specific as you can with dates/months).
  • Is there a particular theme that you would like to cover? Or perhaps you're thinking along the lines of cross-curricular?
  • Do you have a preference in terms of the poet themselves, eg. male/female, poetry from particular cultures or languages?
  • Do you have any additional information on your planned visit / residency that may be helpful in terms of planning?

How much will it cost to bring a poet into our school?

In general, poets who work in schools charge the 'standard' daily rate that begins at approximately £250-£300 per day. Travel expenses are considered an extra charge on top of this fee. Well known poets can be more difficult to book, and their daily rate for schools work is in the £500-£600 bracket. If you want to approach one of the big names, we can pass on their agent's contact details.

The Poetry Society levies a small charge of £25 for facilitating a poet's visit to your school. School members of the Poetry Society are exempt from this consultancy fee. To find out more information on how to become a school member, please click here.

All payment for the poet should be settled between the school and poet directly. The poet will usually invoice the school after or on the day of the visit.

How does the Poetry Society's consultancy service work?

Using your answers to the questions above about what you would like from the visit, we will be able to draw up a list of poets in your area, using our nationwide database of education poets. We will cherry-pick the poets who are most suited to your requirements and who we think would work best with your school. You can choose freely from this list of poets (we supply biographies as well so you can browse through specialised areas, keystages and work experience) and we will then contact the poets on your behalf to check their availability. Once we are able to confirm this, we can put you directly in touch with the poet so you can set dates/times and plan further details.

We are also able to offer you advice on how to organise a successful visit based on years of previous experience.

How should we prepare for the visit once the poet has been booked?

Before the visit:

  • Fees should be agreed in advance, and the procedure explained for claiming expenses. The method and time of payment should also be arranged.
  • Public liability insurance is available to poets working in schools through the Arts Council of England, so ask if your poet is insured.
  • You should of course follow any locally agreed policies for inviting additional adults into the school.
  • To get the most from the visit, be clear about what you want. If you are looking for an entertainer for an end-of-term event or a presentation on careers - let the poet know.
  • Discuss preparation that is needed. Discuss both your and the poet's expectations. You could also discuss ideas for activities prior to the visit.
  • Make sure you are aware of the poet's published work.
    Make the poet's collections available to pupils, possibly on display. 
  • Perhaps let pupils prepare some questions they would like to ask.

Send the poet the following information:

  • Details on how to find you and what lunch arrangements have been made.
  • A timetable for the day, showing break times, assemblies, workshops and readings.  Include information about group sizes and ages.
  • Information on what kind of texts students have been reading and writing recently.
  • The name of the key teacher who is organising the day, and who they can turn to if they need any further information or support.

Ask the poet for the following information:

  • How they would like to be introduced and how they would like the children to address them (Oh Great Wordsmith usually does the trick!)
  • Any dietary or special needs. 

Do not underestimate the level of commitment needed to make the poet's placement a success. The timetable will often need to be rescheduled. Support from the Head, Governors and other teachers is invaluable. Consider involving other schools, as a consortium often attracts more funds.

What can we do in terms of follow-up after the visit?

Make sure the pupils have time to finish off writing tasks they began with the writer.

  • Display the student's finished work, or make a school anthology, or prepare a reading for parents or governors.
  • Writers of all ages are motivated by the possibility of publication. Perhaps your local paper would feature a story.
  • If your students are between ages 11 – 17, submit poems for the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award, the leading competition for young poets. Your students can enter as many poems as they like, of any length, on any theme. Visit www.foyleyoungpoets.org for more details.
  • Poetry Society Schools Members and Youth Members can submit work for publication on our Youth Pages. Contact us for further details.
  • Contact the Poetry Library on 020 7921 0943 or at http://www.poetrylibrary.org.uk for a current list of additional competitions and publications open to young writers, and encourage pupils to send work in.
  • The Poetry Society will publish case studies from residencies on our website. Please contact us at 020 7420 9889 or by email to discuss. NAWE is always keen to receive articles about writers' work in schools, especially from the teacher's perspective and with examples of the pupils' writing produced. Contact NAWE on 01653 618429 or visit http://www.nawe.co.uk
  • Join the Poetry Society. Your whole school will benefit from Poetry Society Schools Membership that includes free access to our poet-in-schools consultancy service, exclusive lesson plans, subscription to Poems on the Underground posters and more. Click here for more details, or phone 020 7420 9889.