Poetry by Heart 2026
This year’s Poetry by Heart competition, held on Friday 13th March 2026, saw the English department given the great privilege of listening to twenty-five Year 9 class winners step forward and contend for the title of overall champion. From the very first performance, it was clear that this was no ordinary contest; it was a battlefield of words, where each student arrived armed not with weapons, but with carefully rehearsed lines, sharpened understanding, and the courage to perform.
The standard was exceptionally high this year. Competitors did not simply memorise their poems—they marched into this arena having truly understood and connected with the themes and messages within them. Each performance felt like a strategic advance: voices rising with confidence, pauses deployed with precision, and emotions delivered with striking impact. Some performances surged forward with bold intensity, while others captivated through quiet control, but all demonstrated remarkable skill and determination. It was, without doubt, a superb collective effort, with every student holding their ground and delivering their piece with clarity and expression.
It gives us great pleasure to announce the following winners:
- 1st - Keiyona - Names Journeys
- 2nd - Elim - Portable Paradise
- 3rd - Jake - A Wider View
Looking ahead, Year 9 students who committed themselves so fully to this project will soon begin to reap the rewards of their efforts. They will find that these skills feed directly into the speaking and listening component of their GCSEs, as well as providing a powerful foundation for their study of World and Lives poetry.
All 25 students who took part in the final should be immensely proud of themselves. They stepped into the arena, faced the challenge head-on, and represented themselves brilliantly—and we know their English teachers could not be prouder.
