The quality and range of recitals in this year’s Year 3-6 Poetry Recital Competition was of a notably high standard. This was a credit to all of the competitors who made it through to the final. However, just as importantly, all pupils had the opportunity to learn and recite their poems in front of their peers, giving them the chance to learn valuable life skills in speaking or performing in front of others.
Michael Rosen was the most popular choice of poet. Poems selected dealt with serious matters, including climate change, to advice, such as on how to get on with your siblings or eat potatoes or tomatoes. One poem was recited in Mandarin, showing that poetry is universal. The reactions of the audience complimented the choices made by both poets and recitalists.
In the end, in a highly competitive field, our adjudicator, Mr Coolin, Head of English at Abingdon School, chose the following winners:
Year 3 – Peter – Witches extract from ‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare
Year 4 – Ollie – ‘Ugh’ by Jenny Joseph
Year 5 – Toby – ‘Dad and the Cat and the Tree’ by Kit Wright
Year 6 – Alex – ‘The Outing’ by Michael Rosen
Thank you to all of the English and Drama teachers, and to the parents of all pupils, for their roles in helping prepare the pupils. We hope it inspires them to keep reading, and even learning by heart, more poems in the future.
