[AD] Premier League Writing Stars poetry competition winners
Throughout England and Wales, over 25,000 primary school children entered the Premier League Writing Stars poetry competition. Each child wrote a poem with the theme of diversity. They were asked to think about what makes people “beautifully different and wonderfully the same” with a little help from a poem written by Joseph Coelho.
The Winners
Two national winners were selected in the competition, one from key stage one and one from key stage two. Judges included Lauren Child, the Children’s Laureate, footballer Rio Ferdinand, poet Joseph Coelho and singer Olly Murs. The judges had the tough job of deciding which poems were best in terms of tone, creativity and originality among other traits. There were also ten regional winners in each key stage. Here are the incredible winning poems.
Key Stage 1 winner – ‘Being Different’
I cover up my hair but you shouldn’t stare at me.
I have lovely hair and I’m as proud as I can be.
I speak another language but you shouldn’t laugh at me.
I can be your good friend – come and play with me!
I find walking hard but you shouldn’t throw me out –
I will get stronger and then I can run about.
I find spelling tricky but you shouldn’t huff and puff.
I will not give up even if it is tough.
I sometimes get worried but you shouldn’t point at me.
If you help me, I’ll be the best that I can be!
By Nabila, Lary, Jacob, Amy, Benyamin, Thomas, Khadija – aged 5 and 6 years old at St Finbar’s Catholic Primary School
Key Stage 2 winner – ‘An Ordinary Girl from Birmingham’
I am nine and three quarters, living next door to a lady from Gibraltar,
I can go to the shop to buy noodles and rice, chapatti flour and spice,
I can say As-salamu alaykum and Hello, Konnichiwa and Hola.
My favourite dish is pie and chips, popadoms, paratha and fish,
My sister thinks she is Jamaican, her favourite food is jerk chicken.
My mum is from up north,
My dad is from down south,
Together they make my world.
This is me, this is who I am.
An ordinary girl from Birmingham.
By Maariya, Heathfield Primary School, aged 9¾
About the Premier League Writing Stars poetry competition
The Premier League Writing Stars poetry competition is open to pupils from all primary schools in England and Wales. It forms part of the Premier League Primary Stars programme. A limited edition Writing Stars poetry book will be published later this year, containing poems from all regional winners.
Premier League Primary Stars helps primary schools throughout the UK to inspire learning and development. Premier league clubs go into schools to offer support to teachers and deliver educational sessions within their communities.
As part of the programme, the Premier League also delivers free teaching materials too schools. Topics include PE, maths, teamwork and resilience as well as poetry through the competition. The programme is open to every primary school in England and Wales and at the moment, 107 clubs from across the Premier League, English Football League and National League are helping schools with in-school support.
Since it began in 2017, Premier League Primary Stars has engaged over 16,000 primary schools and 37,000 teachers. For more information or to register your school, visit www.plprimarystars.com.
