Plymouth pupil named regional winner of Premier League Writing Stars poetry competition
7-year-old Faith from Yealmpstone Farm Primary School in Plymouth has been named as the regional winner of the third Premier League Writing Stars poetry competition.
Faith’s poem ‘My dream’ was selected as the winning entry for the South West region in the Key Stage 1 age group (5-7 years).
Thousands of primary school children across England and Wales entered this year’s competition, which tasked pupils with writing an original poem on the theme of ambition; encouraging them to dream big for themselves and the world around them.
This year’s exciting judging panel consisted of Waterstone’s Children’s Laureate, author and illustrator Cressida Cowell, Leicester City footballer and Premier League champion Wes Morgan and poet and author Karl Nova. The judging was overseen by National Literacy Trust Chief Executive, Jonathan Douglas, who joined the trio on a video conferencing call to debate the shortlisted entries.
Wes Morgan said: “It’s been fantastic to be involved in this competition. I want to congratulate every child who took part as I’ve had the opportunity to read some really inspirational poetry. Each and every one brought to life the theme of ambition in such a personal way. I feel like I could read some of these poems to my teammates in the locker room before a game and get them inspired and motivated to give 100% on the pitch.”
The poems were judged on a range of criteria including creativity, vocabulary and originality. The two national winners have been selected alongside nine regional winners across two age groups - Key Stage 1 (5-7 years) and Key Stage 2 (7-11 years). A Welsh winner and a Welsh-language winner have also been selected at Key Stage 2.
Karl Nova said: “I’ve loved being part of this judging panel and I am really grateful to the Premier League for promoting art and poetry among young kids. I was so impressed by the quality of the writing, choosing a winner was certainly not easy.”
The competition is supported by the National Literacy Trust and is part of the Premier League Primary Stars education programme, which uses the appeal of the Premier League and professional football clubs to inspire children to learn, be active and develop important life skills.
Jonathan Douglas said: “Poetry has the ability to unlock children’s imaginations, unleash their aspirations and help them flourish at school. But many children miss out on these benefits simply because they aren’t interested in poetry – which is where the Premier League plays an important role. Through the power of football and role models, the Premier League has inspired tens of thousands of children across England and Wales to explore their ambitions and hopes for the future through poetry. We hope this this is just the start of their wonderful writing journeys.”
Visit www.plprimarystars.com for free downloadable Premier League Primary Stars activities and resources suitable for home and school learning across English, Maths, PSHE and PE.
Faith's full poem:
My dream
Everybody has a different ambition and that’s fine.
But to get these jobs we have to be a team player.
You need to trust people to get these good jobs.
Carry your strength everywhere you go.
You have to have courage in you.
Be kind or you’ll never get your dream job.
If you have a dream job this poem is for you.
Be nice, and friendly even if you don’t know them.
By Faith, aged 7
Yealmpstone Farm Primary School
