Celebrating Creativity at the annual Poetry Festival
Pupils from across the Trust recently came together for an incredible day of performance and creativity at our Trust-wide Poetry Festival.
Pupils from Co-op Academy Clarice Cliff, Grove, Hillside, Medlock, New Islington, Nightingale, Parkland, Portland, Princeville, Woodlands, and Woodslee, joined forces to share their love for words and rhythm.
The day was split into three rounds. First, the children took to the stage for spoken word performances, delivering energetic rap-style pieces. This was followed by a focus on voice and expression, where groups worked together to perform classic poems like those by William Blake. The final round was a true spectacle, as pupils used movement, dance, and props—including some very creative "iguanas" on leashes—to bring their poems to life.
Beyond the performances, the festival was about building confidence and making new friends. Pupils from different schools spent the day performing and cheering each other on. They even filled out feedback sheets to share praise and kind words about other teams' work. It was wonderful to see our pupils working together and showing such pride in their shared achievements.
Winners
Rising stars - Co-op Academy Woodslee
Original performance - Co-op Academy Nightingale
Creative writing - Co-op Academy New Islington with their Original Poem
Best use of props - Co-op Academy Medlock
Best team work - Co-op Academy Princeville
It was a joy to see the coming together of everybody’s efforts. The whole day ran beautifully, which is truly down to the time, effort and commitment of our performers. Engaging with poetry is always a real treat for me, but the level of creativity and enjoyment shown by the children this time was really special.