14410/01GAZETTE & HERALD: Children's poet John Foster celebrated National Poetry Day by performing several poems for the girls of St Mary's School, Calne.

The girls, in years seven to nine, clicked along as John Foster performed a selection of his poems which included The Schoolkids' Rap.

Mr Foster, who has written 11 poetry books and edits anthologies, said that the girls were very responsive.

He said: "I answered their questions about how I write poems and how I perform poems."

Mr Foster was invited to the independent school by librarian Lindsey Pilkington who knows him through the Federation of Children's Book Groups

Ms Pilkington said that inviting an author is a good way to build up pupils' enthusiasm.

She said: "We are a school that's very strong on poetry and the girls like to read it in their own time.

"John was booked as an entertainment to celebrate poetry and for the girls to see it as a performance. It was not just static reading. It was very entertaining and it brings a lot of enthusiasm.

"There's something quite exciting about meeting a real life poet."

Headteacher Helen Wright said: "It's a wonderful opportunity for the girls to have such an interesting and entertaining performer."