Today, the winners of the third annual Premier League Writing Stars poetry competition have been announced. Congratulations to India (aged 6) from The Orchard Infant School in Molesey and Jonathan (aged 10) from Engayne Primary School in London!
Premier League Writing Stars is a national poetry competition that sees tens of thousands of primary school pupils enter every year and one winner is selected from Key Stage 1 and one from Key Stage 2. The task this year was to write an original poem on the theme of ambition, encouraging children to dream big for themselves and the world around them.
This year’s exciting judging panel consisted of Waterstones Children’s Laureate, author and illustrator Cressida Cowell, Leicester City footballer and Premier League champion Wes Morgan and poet and author Karl Nova. The judging was overseen by our Chief Executive, Jonathan Douglas.
The poems were judged on a range of criteria including creativity, vocabulary and originality. The two national winners were selected alongside nine regional winners across two age groups - Key Stage 1 (5-7 years) and Key Stage 2 (7-11 years). A Welsh winner and a Welsh-language winner have also been selected at Key Stage 2.
We are delighted to continue our support of the competition, and oversee the judging panel. We also work in partnership with Premier League on the Premier League Primary Stars curriculum-linked education programme, which harnesses children’s interest in professional football to inspire them to learn, be active and develop important life skills.
When I read India’s poem, ‘Ambition’, I couldn’t believe that she was only six-years-old. This poem is very sophisticated and hugely poetic. The way she talks about listening to your heart is very sweet. Jonathan’s poem, ‘Unstoppable’, is simply incredible. This kid is a true poet and his language is so strong. I loved the rhythm of his poem and the use of repetition. He was able to really capture the idea of fighting to achieve your dream, which is the essence of ambition.
Cressida Cowell, Waterstones Children’s Laureate
Here are the winning poems by India and Jonathan:
Ambition
by India, aged 6 (The Orchard Infant School)
Decide what you want to do,
And listen to your heart.
Believe yourself and go on,
Just listen to your heart.
Believe in yourself and listen hard,
Listen to your heart.
Be brave and don’t give up,
And listen to your heart.
Unstoppable
by Jonathan, aged 10 (Engayne Primary School)
Unstoppable
They punched me down
Laughed at me, mocked me
Thought I didn’t shine
Thought I couldn’t be
But I couldn’t believe them
And I didn’t believe them
Because I was unstoppable
They ground me down
Teased me, didn’t care about me
Left me in the alley
No-one to talk to, I was unhappy.
But I couldn’t believe them
And I didn’t believe them
Because I was unstoppable
Now I’ll show them
What I can do
What they don’t know
About me, their foe
I’ve shown them
I’ve blown them away
Into the dusty day
Because I never stopped
And I won’t
And I can’t
Because I am unstoppable