The 2024 Canterbury Festival Schools’ Poetry Competition was inspired by this year’s National Poetry Word: COUNTING.

In the 2024 Spring & Summer Terms, Canterbury Festival provided free poetry workshops to over 350 students from 17 schools in the Canterbury City Council District. The following schools participated in our Schools’ Poetry Programme, entering almost 400 poems:

*Ashford School * Blean Primary School * Briary Primary School * Barton Court Grammar School *  Bridge & Patrixbourne CEP School *  Herne Bay Junior School *  Herne CE Junior School * Joy Lane Primary School * Kent College * Pilgrims’ Way Primary School * Reculver Church of England Primary School * Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys * Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School *  St Anselm’s Catholic School * St Peter’s Methodist Primary School * Swalecliffe Community Primary School * The Whitstable School * Towers School and Sixth Form Centre * Whitstable and Seasalter Endowed Church of England (Aided) Junior School * Wincheap Foundation Primary * 

In Autumn 2023 we worked with Joanna Samuel and Celia Rumley to provide a professional skills module for Digital Media students from Canterbury Christ Church University. Students followed a brief to create a Schools’ Poetry Competition logo, 10 second promotional Instagram video, poster, anthology cover and layout. The students’ design work exceeded our expectation, so when presented with the difficult task of selecting one, we chose two! The delightful front and back covers of this anthology were designed by Abigail Eastwood and Zdravka Georgieva. You can view a range of every students’ work on our website and socials.

Heartfelt gratitude to the wordsmith and celebrated local poet, Charlotte Cornell, for leading the free schools’ poetry workshops and for continuing her invaluable role as Judge. A special thank you to Kent College for hosting the Schools’ Poetry Competition Showcase, to Canterbury Forest of Blean Rotary for their generous sponsorship and to Mr Philip Lennard of Canterbury Forest of Blean Rotary for presenting our prizes on the evening.

Last, but by no means least, congratulations to all the young poets who entered their poems – and to their teachers for encouraging them. You never cease to impress us. Thank you! It was wonderful to meet the teachers, parents and poets who attended last Thursday’s Showcase event. Listening to our amazing shortlisted young poets recite their work was the perfect way to celebrate National Poetry Day. They certainly made it hard to select winners as they were all impressive.

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5-8 Year Old Category Winners

GOLD – Ahmad Raza, ‘All About Me’, Pilgrims’ Way Primary School

SILVER – Flourish, ‘My Life’, Pilgrims’ Way Primary School

BRONZE – Frankie Major, ‘In My Suitcase’, Joy Lane Primary School

9-11 Year Old Category Winners

GOLD – Emily Corbett, ‘Counting Stars’, St Anselm’s School

SILVER – Elvy Kirk-Relph, ‘I’m Counting on Women’, Wincheap Foundation Primary School

BRONZE – Aidan King, ‘Maths Kenning’, Herne CE Junior School

12-15 Year Old Category Winners

GOLD – Pam Ejemai, ‘Computatis in Te’, Towers School & Sixth Form Centre

SILVER – Alyssa Fortune, ‘This One Counts’, Ashford School

BRONZE – Poppy Naughton, ‘Our House’, The Whitstable School

16-18 Year Old Category Winners

GOLD – Ava Goddard, ‘Counting’, Simon Langton Girls Grammar School

SILVER – Isaac Meredith, ‘Song at the Till’, Simon Langton Girls Grammar School

BRONZE – Fionn Franks, ‘Humans’, Barton Court Grammar School

MOST POETIC SCHOOL – Blean Primary School