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Bright eyed and bushy tailed, Year 11 embarked on a journey through GCSE Poetry as they took to the Dominion Theatre last Friday. With anthologies and snacks in hand, Carol Ann Duffy took to the mic as she shared her friend’s experience of being a War Photographer, baring witness to the traumatic experiences of war-torn cities such as Belfast, Beirut, and Phnom Penh, and continued to share her more personal accounts in other poetry, shining a light on the symbolism of a necklace. Imtiaz Dhaker celebrated the fragility of human life and the power it holds against architectural backgrounds, again delighting the audience with several other reciting's from her collections.

Lead Examiner, Tony Childs, shared first hand expertise when analysing unseen poetry and comparative paragraphs providing behind the scenes insight. 

After a much-deserved lunch the students were into the final stanza. Simon Armitage, Daljit Nagra and Owen Sheers presented their poetry and shone a light on issues around the world. 

Finally, John Agard took to the stage ‘standing on one leg’ as he recited ‘Checking out me History’ and ‘Half-Caste’ revealing that only by re-learning history can we all fully understand and embrace each other’s identities. With a raucous applause finishing of our day, Agard rewarded us with several other poems, looking at the power of Maths and Physics within his poetry and the inspiration that he garners from all subjects in his life. 

Behaviour of all involved was impeccable; from the coach journey to the rich discussions during the interval, Year 11 represented the school to an explementary standard. 

There will be another wonderful opportunity for students to attend this delightful occasion in February, so any who missed out please contact Miss Ferguson to arrange a chance to go.