Students used creative writing to explore black history when poet paid them a visit.

Year 8 pupils at Eden Girls’ School in Walthamstow took part in poetry workshops with Rachel Long, aimed at inspiring poetry and free thinking using women of colour as their inspiration.

Pupils were asked to create work using inspiration from a photography archive documenting black and Asian people in Victorian Britain.

Eden Girls’ School English teacher, Fatima Begum, said: “Rachel’s workshop was very inspirational for the girls and helped many of them to discover their inner author.”

Ms Long added: “It was an absolute pleasure to be invited to Eden Girls’ School to run poetry workshops to celebrate Black History Month.

“The work produced was of particularly high quality. Each student tried something new, pushed themselves and embraced perhaps unexpected results.”