We were delighted that two of our Year 8 students, Ava and Rae were commended in Poetry by Heart’s national competition where there were over 3000 entries. The two girls both entered the Freestyle section where videos of them performing their poems were watched and judged by a team of poets, poetry experts and educators.
Poetry by Heart is a national poetry speaking competition for schools and colleges in England. The focus is on teaching and learning about poetry – by heart and out loud, and with plenty of choice for young people to explore poems and find the ones that speak to them. Taking part in Poetry By Heart is all about developing confidence with poetry in an enjoyable, accessible and engaging way that leads to its life-long enjoyment.
Mr Murray, from Saint Paul’s, explained: “It is essential for our students to connect with literature that appeals to them. Therefore, by collaborating with Poetry By Heart, we are maximising our students’ learning experience in English whilst providing them with a platform for their voices to be heard.”
“At Saint Paul’s, we pride ourselves in fostering and celebrating oracy and oration: we believe that each student has the capacity to be a confident and articulate young person in every aspect of their daily lives. To support with this, we teach all of our students to learn, memorise and recite key poems throughout the year. We believe that encouraging students to learn and recite poetry not only fosters their oracy skills but also supports their long-term memory, through the use of repetition and retrieval practice.”
