On Wednesday (29 November), we welcomed 24 year 4 pupils from West Green Primary School to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for a very special Premier League Magazine Team workshop.
Led by BBC Match of the Day magazine journalist Jake Wilson and Tottenham Hotspur Foundation staff, the children learned how to research and interview a footballer for a magazine article and explored the importance of literacy skills in the world of football.
Delight and surprise followed when Spurs and Wales player Ben Davies made a special guest appearance, and the children were able to put their interview skills into practice and pose their questions to Ben.
The wide variety of questions meant we were able to learn what Ben’s favourite childhood book was, why he likes reading, what he likes about playing football, how he became a footballer and much more, even including whether he could eat a hot dog in thirty seconds! (The answer? Yes).
Premier League Magazine Team is a fully-resourced 10-week intervention which supports pupils from Key Stage 2 to create their very own magazine. Created by the National Literacy Trust working alongside a range of experts, the intervention, which is part of the Premier League Primary Stars programme, aims to inspire a love of writing and reading and help to improve literacy skills through the subject of football.
One pupil who joined the workshop had already made significant progress in literacy after taking part in the programme last term, culminating in him developing an interest in reading and writing his own stories where he put himself in the shoes of a professional footballer at the World Cup.
As a longtime reader himself, Ben Davies was keen to share his passion with the children and talk about why he personally loves to read.
“I enjoy reading because it’s a great hobby to have away from football. The more I read, the more I learn so I think it’s the perfect way to pick up new knowledge. Reading is also a welcome distraction from the instant gratification of looking at your phone. I find it very relaxing and read as much as I can.” “When I was younger I really enjoyed reading the Harry Potter series. I was obsessed with football from a young age so I loved Match magazine. I went to the post office every week to buy it. I’ve recently become a dad and my 4-month-old has lots of books which we are already starting to read to him.”
Ben Davies
At the end of the workshop, the West Green Primary School pupils were sent home with the latest copy of BBC Match of the Day magazine and accompanying Baller bag, a copy of I am Lenny Brown by Dan Freedman and a Spurs notebook to encourage them to continue on their reading and writing journey.
“We use the excitement and passion surrounding sport to motivate and inspire young people to improve their literacy skills. The workshop with Ben was a fantastic example of this, allowing the pupils to think creatively, speak up and see how literacy feeds into the world of journalism and sport. We thank the Premier League, BBC Match of the Day magazine and the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation for their continued support and collaboration on our mission to change children’s life stories.”
Jim Sells, Sport & Literacy Programme Manager at the National Literacy Trust
“As part of our Premier League Primary Stars programme, we’ve been working alongside the National Literacy Trust to inspire and motivate thousands of children in schools across north London to improve their literacy skills. “We see on a frequent basis how Premier League Magazine Team sessions make such a positive difference to children’s learning and this special workshop at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium only served to boost creative thinking, with Ben’s visit warmly received by pupils. “Our thanks to Ben and the BBC Match of the Day magazine team, as well as the Premier League and National Literacy Trust for their ongoing support.”
Nathaniel Steed, Primary Stars Coordinator for the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation
To see what happened when Ben joined the Premier League Magazine Team workshop with West Green Primary School, watch the film here.
And now, calling all teachers - following on from this brilliant workshop, the National Literacy Trust and Premier League Charitable Fund are excited to announce a unique Premier League Takeover, Magazine Team, LIVE event. We can't wait for you and your pupils to take part!
This event will take you and your pupils through a masterclass on how to write a set of inspiring instructions for an awesome article!
Join us at 10:30 on Wednesday 20 December for a live magazine writing workshop with Jake Wilson from BBC Match of the Day Magazine and footy author, Matt Oldfield.
https://literacytrust.org.uk/events/premier-league-magazine-team-live/
Plus, to find out more about the Premier League Primary Stars programme and how to access a wealth of free English, Maths, PSHE and PE resources, please visit: https://literacytrust.org.uk/programmes/sport-and-literacy/premier-league-primary-stars/.
To access the Premier League Magazine Team resources please visit https://plprimarystars.com/register/magazineteam.