Last year the writer Jackie Kay was the guest of honour at Bolton School Girls' Division's Annual Prizegiving, this year she returned to help pupils improve their English skills.

Lower Sixth English students were given a number of scenarios from which they had to develop a short story.  A variety of genres were explored and particular emphasis was placed on the opening, structure and characters involved in building a strong storyline.    Pupils read back each others’ work and Ms Kay gave feedback.  She commented: "there are some really talented girls here and there have been some great ideas floating around today.”

Jackie Kay is Professor of Creative Writing at Newcastle University. She is one of the best-loved of contemporary poets in Britain today, equally at home in adults and children's literature, in poetry, fiction and drama. Her most recent play, The Lamplighter was commissioned to mark the bi-centenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. Her poetry and fiction has won many awards and she was awarded an MBE in 2006.