STUDENTS at Great Sankey High School were delighted to meet and learn from the award winning author and illustrator, Curtis Jobling.

Curtis is the patron of reading for the Omega Multi-Academy Trust, and as such is a regular visitor to the school.

Pupils at Burtonwood Primary School, Chapelford Village Primary School, Westbrook Old Hall Primary School and Park Road Community Primary School also benefit from Curtis' appointment as a reading patron.

During three action-packed creative writing workshops, students in year 7 were given advice on how to construct a story using descriptive writing techniques and strategies to make their stories more appealing to the reader.

As the students are also learning about writing stories in English lessons, this has provided them with an additional opportunity to help them develop their creativity.

Those who took part in the workshops all wrote a short horror story entitled The Box and The Awakening.

Curtis, a former Penketh High School pupil, gave the pupils invaluable tips and advice on how a story should be structured make them more appealing to the reader.

He also read an extract from his books Haunt and Rise of the Wolf.

Students were then given the chance to buy a selection of signed books.

One student said: “This workshop has really helped me and inspired me to write.

“It was an inspirational experience. I enjoyed writing my own story and asking Curtis questions.

“I enjoyed this experience because it’s helped with my English skills.

"I think it was amazing because it taught me how to structure a story.”