As part of our National Year of Reading 2026 celebrations, Cherry Class were lucky enough to enjoy a very special visit from poet and author Rachel Walmsley – and what an inspiring visit it was!
Rachel shared some of her own powerful poetry with us, showing how poems can be used to express feelings and emotions in creative and thoughtful ways. We talked about how poetry can help us understand different points of view and how words can give a voice to things that are often misunderstood.
One of our favourite activities was exploring the idea of “misunderstood poems.” We thought about animals and creatures that often get a bad reputation, like rats, spiders and other creepy crawlies. At first, it was easy to list all the things people don’t like about them – but then Rachel challenged us to think deeper. What about their good qualities? How might they feel being judged all the time? This helped us to see that every story has two sides.
Cherry Class were incredibly inspired by Rachel’s visit and wrote some fantastic poems full of imagination, empathy and brilliant vocabulary. The poems showed kindness, creativity and a real understanding of different perspectives. We are so proud of the thoughtful work produced and the enthusiasm everyone showed throughout the session.
A huge thank you to Rachel Walmsley for visiting us and helping Cherry Class discover that poetry isn’t just about rhyming words – it’s about understanding, emotions and seeing the world in new ways.
