The literary works of pupils at a Dudley borough primary school are receiving national and international praise after being published online.

‘We All Sleep Under The Stars’ is a book of illustrated poems, created by Year 6 pupils from Greenfield Primary School in Stourbridge.

40 children aged 10 and 11 have put pen to paper as part of the special initiative organised by the Letterpress Project, a not-for-profit organisation, which believes there is something special about reading real, printed books. The pupils spent some time with the project founder, Karen Argent, and under the guidance of their two teachers then worked in pairs to use books to explore the theme of asylum seekers and refugees. 

They used the information they found and the knowledge they had gained to work together and compose their poems, which thoughtfully demonstrate the power of empathy. Since being published on the Letterpress website, the children’s work has received significant praise from people all over the world including author and Children’s Laureate, Chris Riddell. Peter Bravo, head teacher at Greenfield Primary School, said:

“At Greenfield we believe reading for enjoyment is essential, so we all try to make reading and books as exciting and attractive as possible by using a variety of approaches.

“We are incredibly proud of our Year 6 pupils for many reasons, including their efforts in the Letterpress Project.  They have been able to demonstrate the power of books to broaden their knowledge and understanding, which has inspired them to create their own literary masterpieces.”

The school is currently in the top one per cent of primary schools in England for achievements in reading following the most recent key stage assessments.  Results showed that 100 per cent of pupils reached or exceeded the expected standard of reading.

To read ‘We All Sleep Under The Stars’ go to letterpressproject.co.uk.