Year 11 GCSE Poetry Live trip

On the 29th January, 32 Year 11s embarked on an exciting trip into central London to attend the Poetry Live workshop, a highly acclaimed and very well-attended annual event aimed at GCSE students of poetry. We saw some of the country's best poets perform their work live, and explain the stories behind it all. Then, a Chief Examiner for AQA took us through some of his top tips for the exam, going carefully through a series of poems and responses and giving everyone a new insight into how to construct a successful response. 

It was a real treat, with students gaining both exam tips and a real appreciation for the art form. We were also lucky enough to hear two 16 year olds read their winning poems from last year's poetry competition, one on how childhoods are stolen too soon, and one about snails! Maybe one of our students will stand on that stage next year. The day culminated in a passionate standing ovation for the legendary John Agard, who performed a song-like, interactive ending to his well-known poem, 'Checking Out Me History'. 2000 Year 11s, ours very much included, were uplifted and inspired by his final words: 'Language is power!' We left the theatre with a souvenir programme, a signed Imtiaz Dharker anthology for the teachers, smiles on our faces and the memory of a fabulous day!

Bianca: "The Poetry Live show was absolutely incredible! Seeing the poets themselves, hearing their verbal honest opinions about how they wrote their poems and what inspiration they took was utterly eye-opening. Learning the meaning behind the poems from the mouths of their authors opened a whole new perspective of writing and ideas I can explain and explore in my poetry essays. This has helped me understand the author's intentions and ideas massively, and will also encourage me to give writing poems a go."

Max: "The trip was a fantastic opportunity which brought to life the poems we have studied in school, allowing us to hear new ideas from the poets, which we can write about in our summer exams."

Lola: "The experience was one I'll never forget. I loved hearing how each author performed their poem and how they were inspired to write them, especially Daljit Nagra, Simon Armitage and Imtiaz Dharker."