This academic year has been filled with several exciting varsity events that have brought Two Counties schools together. Students have taken part in a wide range of competitions, including chess, general knowledge quizzes as well as a baking competition. On Monday 27th April students gathered for a brand-new event, a poetry competition! 

The event was inspired by several TTCT schools submitting entries to the Poetry by Heart Competition, a nationwide contest open to both students and staff. Building on this, staff proposed creating an internal version to deepen students’ appreciation of poetry while giving them an opportunity to perform poetry in front of a friendly audience of peers and staff. 

On the morning of the event, Ashfield School welcomed student into its theatre space, and it quickly became clear that it was going to be a special day. A total of 56 students took part, performing as soloists, pairs, and one group of four. In total, 47 poems were recited over the course of the school day, showcasing a complete range of published work, from William Shakespeare and Charlotte Bronte to more contemporary pieces published as recently as 2014. 

After the performances, entries were evaluated by a judging panel comprising of Trust Assistant Headteacher Carl Storey and Subject Champion for Drama Miss Roach. Students were assessed on their voice, understanding of the poem and their overall performance. Everyone involved demonstrated impressive courage as delivering a performance in front of new faces is a daunting task in itself. 

After some serious deliberation the winners from each Year group were announced: 

  • Y7B: Sebastian from Selston High School; Fairy Story by Stevie Smith 
  • Y7G: Erin from Springwell Community College; The Language of Cat by Rachel Rooney 
  • Y8B: Ronnie from Wilsthorpe School; The Man from Snowy River by Banjo Patterson 
  • Y8G: Hannah from Allestree Woodlands School; Jabberwocky by Lewis Carrol 
  • Y9B: Dylan from Selston High School; She Walks in Beauty by Caroline Kennedy 
  • Y9G: Bethany from Wilsthorpe School; Oh Captain! My Captain! By Walt Whitman. 

Speaking at the end of the event, Lydia a Year 9 student from Manor Academy said: 

“Today was fantastic and exhilarating. It was so fun to see everyone enjoying performing the amazing poetry created by some incredible poets. It was lovely to be here today and I hope to experience this once again.” 

Mr Storey also added: 

“We have seen such an incredibly high standard from all students who have performed today. The judging process has been incredibly difficult due to the effort and dedication that students have put into their performances. Our winners should be incredibly happy with themselves for being able to stand out from such strong groups. I would also like to share how proud I am of every student that took part today and also thank the staff who have helped make this event happen for our students.” 

This was the first ever Poetry by Heart event arranged by The Two Counties Trust and it will certainly not be the last! Throughout the day, students embodied the Trust’s shared values through their performances and how they respectfully listened to their peer. Well done to all students who took part in this event. 

The final TTCT Varsity event of this academic year will be the TTCT Varsity Maths Challenge.