Portsmouth Pupil Poet Laureate

I am proud to be Portsmouth Education Partnership's (PEP), Pupil Poet Laureate for 2023-2024. This role is funded by PEP and hosted by Portsmouth Grammar School. Throughout the year I will be facilitating workshops for KS2 & KS3 aged pupils to explore poetry, 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 a clebration event, at the end of the school year, to celebrate their achievements and a pamphlet style publication to showcase their work.

Autumn Term

Inspiration

The autumn term focuses on pupils collecting insipration , learning about the poets of the past and present, and gathering resources in order to inspire thier own work.

Spring Term

Wordsmithing

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.

Summer Term

Performance Skills

The summer term focuses on pupils growing their confidence by learning performance skills in order to share their poetry with others.

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