Doncaster children's artwork displayed on town's historic Conisbrough Castle

Children from three local schools have had their artwork and poems featured on 20 metre banners thanks to Doncaster Stories, a campaign delivered by the National Literacy Trust and funded by Doncaster Opportunity Area to raise local literacy levels and help children reach their full potential.

Pupils aged 7-11 from Morley Place Academy, Castle Academy and Denaby Main Primary Academy enjoyed workshops with Doncaster Stories project officer and local writer, Phil Sheppard, to create poetry on the theme of hope as local people emerge from a turbulent 18 months.

Research from the National Literacy Trust shows that two thirds of all wards in Doncaster are vulnerable to low levels of literacy.

Meanwhile, the impact of school closures as a result of the pandemic are expected to reverse all progress made to narrow the attainment gap in the last decade, but Doncaster Stories hopes to harness an increased enjoyment for writing in order to prevent this.

1 in 5 children said they were writing more often during lockdown compared to before and 1 in 6 said they were enjoying writing more.

The large scale display at Conisbrough Castle has inspired children to share their talents with the people of Doncaster.

The banners were installed on the exterior of Conisbrough Castle earlier this month and will be there for the remainder of the school holidays and into the new term for all to admire and enjoy.

Gavin Smithees, site manager at Conisbrough Castle, says that the idea came from exploring the castle’s recent history: “We discovered some photographs from the 1980s with these huge banners that had been created by a local school and then draped down the castle walls. They looked amazing, so we were interested in recreating this effect.

"Meeting with Doncaster Stories, we started to come up with a plan to include poetry with the theme of hope becoming ever more fitting during these times. We are so impressed by the children’s work. The banners are going to look spectacular and the castle is now lit up at night, so they’ll look even more impressive around the clock.”

Phil Sheppard, senior project officer for Doncaster Stories, said: “The children’s creativity was astounding. We thought the theme of hope would really inspire them, especially given the turbulence of the last eighteen months, and we were not wrong.

"The ideas, language and imagery in the children’s poetry really hit home, which can be seen in the finished poems. We can’t wait for them to be shared with the local community, showcased on the sides of the castle to be seen for miles around!”

Louise Wright, Assistant Principal at Morley Place Academy, said: “The children got so much out of the project – they worked so hard on their poetry and the results are incredibly inspiring.

"I am sure that the finished artwork will really stir a lot of emotions in the local community and the children will be rightly proud of their achievements. We were so happy to have the children’s work displayed in such a spectacular fashion.

"To have their work showcased in this way is very special and will be remembered for many years to come.”