DISASTER was the order of the day when pupils were asked to take part in a poetry workshop with poet Bill Herbert.

This talented and professional poet taught the pupils how to compose and structure their pieces, while considering their content.

With his support and guidance they were encouraged to become more confident in their approach to poetry, and to perform their work in front of a younger audience.

The students were asked to consider events in their lives, for example, accidents or disasters abroad, which provoked some entertaining discussion.

In order to explore and expand their ideas, a series of tasks were given. This involved making notes about the event and writing a story about it, before finally constructing the poem.

The students involved were extremely pleased with their finished product. Sophie Auston, a pupil who took part, said: "I really enjoyed the workshop and I would do it again."

The teachers involved were also very impressed by the efforts of the students, whose poems were eventually compiled to produce an anthology of poetry.

Caroline Redmond, the project organiser of New Writing North, visited the college recently. She was so impressed with the students' inspired poetry that she announced that they would have the opportunity to have one of their poems published in an anthology of children's poetry, which will be distributed to libraries in the area.