Last week, St Christopher’s celebrated Poetry Week, a joyful whole-school celebration of rhythm, rhyme and performance that culminated in our annual Poetry Recital Competition.

Throughout the week, children from Nursery to Year 2 immersed themselves in poetry in class through reading, writing, performing and exploring the magic of language.

The highlight of the week was our much-loved annual Poetry Recital Competition, where children from Nursery to Year 2 took to the stage to perform poems they had carefully practised. From heartfelt recitals to wonderfully imaginative interpretations, every child approached the challenge with enthusiasm and creativity. It was inspiring to see expressive voices, dramatic gestures and natural storytelling abilities shining through in each performance. For many of our youngest learners, stepping onto the stage is a big moment. The courage and pride shown by every performer made the week particularly special.

On Thursday, the week culminated in a grand final, where the finalists performed their poems once again for a panel of judges. The standard was incredibly high, making it a difficult decision, but we are delighted to congratulate this year’s winners:

Early Years Poetry Recital Winners
1st – Alexander (Mars Class)
2nd – Julia (Neptune Class)
3rd – Eden (Pre-Reception)

Key Stage One Poetry Recital Winners
1st – Martha (Venus Class)
2nd – Daniel (Mercury Class)
3rd – Heidi (Saturn Class)

We are so proud of our overall winners, Alexander in Reception and Martha in Year 2, who proudly recited their poems for visiting families at our Open Morning on Friday. Their confidence, clarity and flair were truly impressive and perfectly captured the spirit of the week.

Learning and performing poetry at such a young age offers children many valuable benefits. Reciting poems helps develop language skills, vocabulary and memory, while encouraging children to play with rhythm, sound and expression. Poetry also nurtures creativity and imagination, allowing children to explore emotions and ideas through words. Perhaps most importantly, performing poetry helps build confidence. Standing in front of an audience and delivering a poem gives children a powerful sense of achievement and supports the development of self-belief that carries into all areas of school life.

A huge well done to every child who took part – you made us incredibly proud. The week truly reminded us that even the smallest voices can deliver the most powerful words!