Children’s Literature and Reader Identity - 50 Years of CLPE: The Past, Present and Future of Primary Literacy - (Day 1)

Join us for CLPE's 50th Birthday Conference. 

Day one of this exciting conference will focus on the importance of children's literature in shaping reader identity. Hear from Lauren Child, Joseph Coelho and Farrah Serroukh and take part in practitioner led workshops. The day will help you to plan to develop reading for pleasure with a range of practical ideas for using quality and diverse texts for all ages.

Taking place over two days and held in the CLPE Literacy Library in Central London, this exciting event will investigate the teaching of literacy and the key aspects of pedagogy and subject knowledge that CLPE have placed at the heart of their work for fifty years.  

At this important conference we will hear from a range of keynote speakers all looking at the importance of children’s literature, creative practice and reader and writer identity. 

Over the two days our speakers will include Children's Laureate Joseph Coelho and former Children’s Laureates Lauren Child, and Michael Rosen and author Ken Wilson-Max.  We will have keynotes from Farrah Serroukh and Charlotte Hacking as well as practical workshops delivered by CLPE’s Teaching Team and teachers from CLPE Associate Schools. 

Our two day Festival Conference will be taking place on 14th and 15th October 2022 at CLPE in London.

• Single day tickets - £150 (£120 for School Members)
• Two day tickets - £250 (£220 for School Members)

To attend both days please add the Day 1 Conference (this event) and the Day 2 Conference to your cart and the discount will be automatically applied at the checkout. 

Festival Conference Programme Day 1: Quality Children’s Literature at the Heart of all Learning - Children’s Literature and Reader Identity. 

Day one of our conference will give teachers the opportunity to build knowledge and engage with a wide range of children’s literature – helping you to plan to develop Reading for Pleasure with a range of practical ideas, quality and diverse texts for all ages and all underpinned by research led practice.  

The Importance and Status of Children’s Literature - Lauren Child 

The Role of Quality Literature in Shaping Reader Identity, from the Reader and the Writer to Reflecting Realities - Farrah Serroukh 

Practitioner led workshops showing how a literature based approach works in the classroom (choose one workshop to attend each day) 

• Book Based approach to Literacy, led by Headteacher, Nickie James, and Assessment Lead, Emma Shaw, at CLPE Associate School, West Ham Primary and Darren Matthews, Jamie Wraight and Jonny Rodgers, this workshop provides a practical exploration of the high-quality texts and approaches that have been placed at the centre of their literacy curriculum; and the impact this is having on engagement and attainment in speaking, listening, reading and writing. 

• Power of Pictures -  Anna Beresford, programme leader for ITT at Letta Trust and Ruth Cattell from Stebon Primary School in Tower Hamlets will share the impact of their involvement in CLPE’s Power of Pictures programme, recently evaluated as part of an EEF Randomised Control Trial, on children and staff. In this hands-on workshop with Charlotte Hacking they will share practical ideas and strategies which have raised engagement and attainment in writing and improved pupil’s self-efficacy and ideation across their school.  

• Reflecting Realities in the Classroom, led by Natalie Caraccio, Deputy Headteacher and Jane Atkin, Year 3 teacher at West Hill Primary in Wandsworth, with Farrah Serroukh this workshop offers an opportunity for attendees to gain insights into our most recent classroom-based action research project, which seeks to explore the impact of meaningful engagement with representative literature and authors of colour. Natalie and Jane will share the ways in which the project has influenced changes in practice and provision, exemplified through practical activities which have made particular impact on children and staff in their school. 

• The Foundations of Early Literacy  This workshop , led by Yasmine Cherid, Lead Practitioner at St. Matthias C of E Primary School, Hackney and Anjali Patel, will provide opportunity to explore the impact that increased access and deeper engagement with quality texts across Early Years provision has had on pupils’ attainment in Communication and Language, Reading and Writing.  

Nickie James is Headteacher at West Ham Church School, has led English in schools in Essex, Hertfordshire and Newham as an English Lead and SLE. Her passion for teaching through high quality texts stems from the start of her career completing her PGCE at Goldsmiths and a dissertation about bias and sexism in children’s literature. As a leader, she  has enjoyed working in collaboration with CLPE shaping the curriculum through strong cross curricular links to their Power of Reading texts. 

Emma Shaw  - Following Emma’s training at Kingston University, she has enjoyed teaching across both KS1 and KS2 in and around London and is currently Senior Teacher at West Ham Church Primary School. She is an avid reader and has a strong interest in English as well as a background in linguistics, which benefits her in her current role as English Subject Lead. She enjoys nothing more than sharing new books with pupils and colleagues and collaborating on creative writing. 

Yasmine Cherid - Yasmine is a lead practitioner in an inner-city school who has worked internationally across a range of primary schools. She has been an Assistant head teacher, Early Years Lead and Reading lead for many years and has had an integral role in curriculum design in her current role.  Yasmine participates in a range of working parties that strive to develop inquiry-based approaches to learning and currently leads on teacher development, working closely with Early Career Teachers. 

The Role of Authors in Inspiring Readers - Joseph Coelho 

Lunch is provided and there will be opportunities to purchase books and to have them signed by the authors. 

This conference will be held in-person at the CLPE Centre in Central London. Address: 44 Webber Street, London, SE1 8QW. 

CLPE is an independent charity. When you purchase a conference place you are helping to support our work, helping us to keep our resources free and to ensure that all schools benefit from quality children’s literature at the very heart of learning.