Author Visits

[madamehooch]

Thought it might be useful (especially for those teachers interested in arranging author visits) to start a thread, recommending those authors which do great events. Yesterday, I attended an event with Gareth P Jones and he was excellent. Songs, instruments, audience participation, costumes - he kept Years 3 to 6 thoroughly entertained and that's no mean feat!

I can't remember his name but my son's school had the author of Gran's Gang and other Gran's adventure books come to his school and my son was talking about him for ages after, read all the books, and decided he wanted to write books too!

Keith Harvey came to my son's school last year and spoke to years R - 2. My 4 year old absolutely loved the session and I credit Keith with getting my son interested in reading. He loves the mouse stories. I'd thoroughly recommend him.

An author came to my DC's school earlier this year and talked to all, r- yr6. Thoroughly enjoyed by all, judging by the queues at the book signing!

Susan Gates visited our school (she taught one of the members of staff so came as a favour not to sell books) and talked to the children about being an author as well as sharing stories with them.

no authors yet at my sons school sadly - but my sons friends school had philip ardagh visit. I was told he was really funny and interesting, the kids were crying with laughter

We had Korky Paul come in who illustrates the Winnie the Witch books and also has other books, a big favourite in our house is duck with no luck. I know not an author as such but he was great, did workshops with all 6 classes in the school (reception to Y6) at appropriate levels, dd was lucky enough to be picked to have her portrait drawn by him, it is fab and a wonderful keepsake for her. I would recommend him every day of the week!
Our friends paid most of the cost I think and they had to allow a book sale at the end of the day but was able to get loads of his books for really cheep prices (way bellow RRP) and he stuck around to sign books (you didn't have to buy one get it signed, could bring one from home or just a scrap of paper) and also chatted to parents and younger siblings.
I think it is such a worthwhile thing for a school to spend money on, really promotes creative writing, and in our case art (we had lots of children write and illustrate stories in the weeks after the visit).

By friends I mean PTA, not sure that was quite clear!

Do authors still need to get CRB checked to go into schools or has that been abandoned? It seemed remarkably OTT to me that they did in the first place, maybe it was only certain councils that wanted it - so I hope they've relaxed that rule.

The law is (and always has been)
?One-off? Speakers/Visitors
CRB checks are not required for individuals who do not have unsupervised access to children but who have business with staff or have brief contact with children on a supervised basis. In addition, schools must ensure that they have undertaken an assessment of the individual?s suitability to work with pupils and that appropriate supervision arrangements are in place

Volunteers - unsupervised access to children
A CRB Disclosure is required for volunteers where the work involves, or may involve, unsupervised access to children (e.g. accompanying overnight trips). In addition, schools must ensure that they have undertaken an assessment of the individual?s suitability to work with pupils and that appropriate supervision arrangements are in place

Volunteers ? working on a regular basis with supervised access to children
A CRB check is required for volunteers who work in schools on a regular basis (e.g. accompanying a class on a trip, or helping with reading or sewing in a classroom). In addition, schools must ensure that they have undertaken an assessment of the individual?s suitability to work with pupils and that appropriate supervision arrangements are in place

Volunteers ? ?one off? activity with supervised access to children only
A CRB check is not required for volunteers who accompany staff and children for one-off outings/trips/activities/events and who will not have unsupervised access to children (e.g. sports day and school fete). However, schools must ensure that they have undertaken an assessment of the individual?s suitability to work with pupils and that appropriate supervision arrangements are in place

That is the law, yes - but some schools or councils (not sure which) appear to have some trouble understanding it clearly, as I remember one author sadly deciding to pull out of a school visit as they insisted on a CRB check (on principle, not because he was dodgy!) have just found it was Philip Pullman

it would appear he's not alone either

But it would also appear that there has been a Govt u-turn on this, thank goodness.