Staff and students at Tewkesbury Academy were delighted to welcome acclaimed poet Nafeesa Hamid for an engaging poetry-writing workshop as part of Young Poet Laureate Week, supported by the National Literacy Trust.
The workshop brought together Poetry by Heart year-group finalists from Years 7, 8 and 9, giving students the opportunity to explore language, creativity and performance.
Poetry by Heart is a free, national, non-competitive poetry-speaking programme for schools in England for ages 7–18, encouraging students to learn poems by heart and perform them aloud.
Throughout the session, students produced thoughtful and powerful pieces, embracing the challenge of discovering and refining their poetic voices. The event offered an enriching creative experience for all involved, leaving students inspired and more confident in their writing.
This workshop was organised and fully funded by the National Literacy Trust as part of Young Poet Laureate Week – a national initiative offering young people the chance to apply to become the Young Poet Laureate for their region.
John Licqurish, English Teacher at Tewkesbury Academy, said: “Having Nafeesa Hamid work with our students was an absolute privilege.
“Her expertise and warmth created an environment where students felt confident to take creative risks and express themselves in new ways.
“The quality of writing they produced was outstanding, and it was wonderful to see them so inspired by the power of poetry.”
