The John Cole Poetry Competition

Our annual poetry competition began in 2014 with all children invited to learn a given poem by heart and a poem of their choice.

Long standing Governor, Mr John Cole, proposed the idea and generously provided a trophy and winner’s display board.

The aim of the competition is to equip pupils with the skills needed to speak in front of others – a skill much needed for their future.

The National Curriculum for English states the importance of spoken language in pupils’ development across the whole curriculum – cognitively, socially and linguistically. ‘Spoken language underpins the development of reading and writing. The quality and variety of language that pupils hear and speak are vital for developing their vocabulary and grammar and their understanding for reading and writing.’ DfE 2014.