Teaching agency provides first class support to renowned North East children’s author

A North East based teaching agency has enabled a visit from a top children’s author to a North Shields School. Renowned children’s author Dan Smith has given secondary school children in North Shields a thrilling insight into his latest novel – a tale of WW2 drama seen through the eyes of a young German boy.

The acclaimed Newcastle based author visited John Spence Community High School and read extracts from his new book ‘My Brother’s Secret’, which was released on the same day. Dan also signed copies of his latest book, which tells the thrilling story of an ordinary boy struggling to make sense of day to day life in Hitler’s Germany.

First Class Supply, one of the fastest growing independent teaching supply agencies in the North East, is exclusive education sponsor of Seven Stories, the Newcastle based archive of children’s literature, which organised the event. Seven Stories conducts regular outreach activities with well-known children’s authors, and First Class Supply was keen to facilitate even more of these activities with its support.

Lesley Robinson, director of First Class Supply, said: “We are really excited to be able to help make events such as this happen. They are both fun and educational for the children and help to bring the Curriculum more alive. We are delighted to help support local interests that benefit both the community and our partner schools.”

She added: “We are doubly proud to have worked in partnership with John Spence Community High School for the past ten years.”

Dan Smith said: “One of the greatest benefits of writing books for younger readers, is the opportunity to visit schools, to engage young people, and to show them that books are fun. Stories open new worlds, and reading is beneficial in so many ways.

“Seven Stories and First Class Supply are working hard to bring authors into schools, and it was a pleasure to be involved with them. More importantly, it was a pleasure to meet and talk to such a lively and keen group of children at John Spence Community High.”

Angela Lund, Assistant Head teacher at John Spence Community High School, said: "We were delighted to be selected by First Class Supply to have the highly acclaimed author, Dan Smith, in school to talk with some of our students. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to meet Dan, ask him questions both about his new book and writing in general and to actually listen to him read extracts.

“We have a highly successful English Department at John Spence which encourages theatre trips and visits from authors and poets. Dan Smith's visit was another opportunity for us to bring English alive in the classroom. Many thanks to Dan Smith and First Class Supply."

ENDS

NEWS RELEASE: ISSUED ON BEHALF OF FIRST CLASS SUPPLY

PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured from L to R - Dan Smith (foreground), Erin Leigh Hall, Emily Coxon, Alex Porteous, Scott Green.

Notes to Editors
First Class Supply is recognised as the fastest growing independent Supply Teaching Agency in the North East, and the sixth fastest growing Supply Teaching Agency in the country. Established in 2004, the team of dedicated professionals has almost sixty years of combined experience within educational recruitment - 58 years to be exact. The company also employs two former headteachers specifically to conduct all of its candidate registration interviews. First Class Supply regularly engages in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities across the North East, including with The Newcastle United Foundation.