FURNESS Academy welcomed a dynamic rap artist into its school to help develop their poetry skills.

The Furness Education Consortium liaised with the John Fisher Foundation to fund a visit to the school from an author of the school’s choosing.

The aim of the project is to produce a report demonstrating the value of bringing an author into the schools for the students. The English Department looked at its curriculum and decided to find an author which could link with the culture curriculum and diversity modules.

After investigating a significant number of authors, Ms Anderson landed on Breis.

Breis (pronounced Breeze) is a dynamic and diverse Nigerian rap artist from the UK. He grew up in both London and Nigeria which has influenced his work and his life. The school decided that Breis would be the perfect fit to visit the school in connection to both the need for integrating diversity and allowing them to witness the ways in which English and literacy can be the foundations of a successful career. The work from Breis is thought provoking, witty and inspiring. He is passionate about the education and well-being of young people.  

Breis joined Furness Academy worked with 120 Furness Academy students and 13 German students who were visiting on a school exchange. During the workshop the students modelled their oracy skills, completed some group work, underwent peer assessment and discussed possible future careers.

The students worked with Breis to craft poetry through a thematic link and rhyming couplet skills connected to current affair topics such as gender, identity, poverty, climate change, cost of living. The students then performed their poetry in front of the assembled students.

Following the visit, the students produced a report on the outcomes and experiences they had with Breis with many stating they enjoyed the workshop with Breis and they were proud of the work they produced.

Ms Anderson, an English teacher at Furness Academy who organised the visit from Breis, said: “Breis was a refreshing, inciteful and engaging author. The students were amazed and enthralled as he spoke to them about his use of oracy and literacy skills which allowed him to form a powerful career.  This opportunity allowed students who tend to fall into being disengaged in English, an insight into how literacy and oracy is vital beyond the words in a book. Students who feared reading out loud or felt poetry writing was something for ‘love’ or ‘girls’ were actively participating and enjoying the sessions.”

Ms Dodd, an English Teacher who also supported the event, said: “In their session with Breis our Year 8 and 9 students developed literacy through in-depth poetry construction. They also practiced their subject-specific vocabulary such as rhyming couplets and rhyme schemes. Oracy skills were also key to the session as students performed spoken word poetry.”