Portsmouth Pupil Poet Laureate
I am proud to be working with Portsmouth Education Partnership's (PEP), for a second year, as part of their Pupil Poet Laureate project for 2024-2025. This role is funded by PEP and hosted by Portsmouth Grammar School.
This year's ambitious programme seeks to engage schools across Portsmouth through a series of Vlogs and online resources, bringing the Portsmouth Pupil Poet Laureate Project to all schools within the Portsmouth area.
During this project we will explore Portsmouth and its landscapes of sea, city and green space, and in doing so encourage KS2 & KS3 aged pupils to explore poetry, poetic language, themes and techniques in order to produce their own poetry, nurture a love of the spoken word and develop oracy skills.
The project will culminate in three celebratory podcasts.
To find out more about the project and how, as a Portsmouth school, you can be involved then please contact the Portsmouth Education Partnership via their website here
words from the sea
The autumn term focuses on how pupils gather resources in order to inspire their own work.
During this term pupils will produce a poem on the theme of The Sea.
words from the city
The spring term focuses on the use of language in poetry, the rhythms used and how pupils can hone their words to create powerful messages.
During this term pupils will produce a poem on the theme of the City.
words from the green spaces
The summer term focuses on pupils growing their confidence by learning performance skills in order to share their poetry with others.
During this term pupils will produce a poem on the theme of Green Spaces
TESTIMONIALS
Some highlights from the feedback so far for the Poet Laureate Programme has shown that pupils have expressed the following:
An increased enjoyment and enthusiasm for writing
A sense of being rewarded through being given an opportunity to be involved
Improved confidence in reading and writing
Improved confidence in interacting with people outside of the normal school setting
A new/improved interest in Literature
Feedback from Portsmouth Education Partnership
Storyteller Dawn Nelson has worked an indescribable magic from Year R all the way up to Y12. From Norse and Greek myths, to local tales and folklore from the land, I have had the genuine joy of watching the children listen, sing and join in with call and response (as if they all knew beforehand that they had a part to play!).
Young people's ability to focus for long periods is often underestimated because of increasing reliance on technology. What today proved to me is that if you put a brilliant storyteller in front of them with a hoard of fantastic stories, they will listen, they will stop fidgeting, they do fall into the depths of the narrative to emerge triumphant at the other side.
'Dawn Nelson created a wonderfully safe space for pupils to learn how to perform poetry, something that the overloaded curriculum doesn't have much time for.'
Bryony Hart, Teacher Of English & Whole School Literacy, Portsmouth Grammar School
'The pleasure and power of story! During Lit Soc hearing a sixth former join you in singing each refrain of the chorus was delightful'
Dr Carol Webb, Head Librarian, Portsmouth Grammar School
'What a fantastic day. Pupil’s were still sharing their experiences on Friday. Thank you for your visit and the inspiration for our young people.'
Alice Reader, Learning Support, Portsmouth Grammar School
