Young poets at Staffordshire school triumph in national poetry contest

Students from The Hart School in Rugeley participated in a prestigious poetry writing competition that was open to budding young poets from across the UK.

Their work impressed Young Writers’ competition judges so much that their poetry will feature in an anthology to be published later this year.

Entitled "The Power of Poetry 2023 - Whispers of the Soul”, the anthology will be available to buy in selected shops across the country from September.

Principal Rachael Sandham said: “I’m thrilled to announce that the hard work and dedication of our budding poets has been recognised, and their exceptional pieces selected for publication in the upcoming Young Writers’ anthology.

“We’re very proud of our students and this remarkable achievement is also testament to the school's commitment to nurturing young talents across various fields of education, including creative writing.

“We will definitely be ordering some copies for our library.”

Ms Sandham also extended her “heartfelt thanks and appreciation” to English teacher, Wendy Humphries, for her "unwavering and inspirational support" to the students.

To celebrate their achievement, pupils Bella Dyson, Kyle Stevenson, Isla Hodgkiss and Rhys Marston were treated to a hot chocolate with the principal and presented with a principal’s commendation certificate.