Together with Pobble, we invited students to write a poem based on this year's competition theme, 'Connections'.
Our Poetry Competition was open to all COBIS schools, including Applicant schools. We recognise that this is a challenging time for schools worldwide and so for this year, a limited number of spaces were also available for FOBISIA, BSME, LAHC and AoBSO schools, allowing even more students to enjoy and benefit from this opportunity.
This year's competition theme was 'Connections'. Pobble produced this lesson to help students generate ideas around the theme.
We received more than 360 entries from students in 88 schools worldwide. Congratulations to everyone who entered; our judges thoroughly enjoyed reading your excellent poems.
Winners and Runners-up
The winners are listed below, along with the judges' comments. To read each poem, please click on the student's name.
Category A: 10 years and under
Winner: Sam Tredgett, The British School in The Netherlands
“A very fun poem with lots of lovely imagery in it. I particularly like the line 'The group of people who tick the box 'Other’'.”
“Sophisticated use of structure to further an argument, original interpretation of topic. I also enjoyed the use of poetic techniques to add colour and the fantastic vocabulary!”
Runner-up: Gustavo Liévano Gómez, The Edron Academy
“Brilliant and very skillful composition. The simplicity and yet complexity of the poem as well as the effective use of imagery and metaphor to vividly evoke the theme of the composition no doubt makes the poem a joy to read.”
Category B: 11-14 years
Winner: Dhanushan Chinniah, Jerudong International School
“The jeremiad is very thoughtful. Although the tone and message is very pessimistic, there is a powerful voice. Some very thoughtful similes here too. Excellent.”
"An extremely powerful and thought-provoking poem.”
Runner-up: Siena Lee, Prior Park School
“The rhyme and rhythm are well crafted into this poem. There are thoughtful images based on modern issues. Excellent.”
“A thoughtful piece that encourages reflection of the past year. Lovely use of rhythm and rhyme.”
Category C: 15-19 years
Winner: Tadala Mfutso-Bengo, St Andrew's International High School
“Great rhythm, questioning and clear voice.”
“Stunning language and philosophy. Bravo.”
Runner-up: Aniya Boranbay, Haileybury Astana
“Lyrical, thoughtful with a beautiful ending.”
“Wonderful”
Prizes
A certificate and prize has been awarded to the winner and runner-up of each category.
Winner: £75 Amazon voucher
Runner-up: £25 Amazon voucher
Judges
The success of our Poetry Competition is dependent upon the expertise of our external judges. Thank you to all the judges who volunteered to support this competition, including teachers from COBIS Schools, experts from COBIS Supporting Associates and professionals from the writing industry.
To register your interest in judging the competition in future, please contact students@cobis.org.uk.
We would like to thank our competition partner, Pobble, for their ongoing support with the Poetry Competition.
Pobble provides everything you need to teach, improve and assess writing.
Find and build inspiring lessons, engage your pupils with tools to write, edit and publish their work, then easily moderate writing judgements online. You’ll find content and unique, digital tools that are proven to improve pupils’ speed, confidence and enjoyment of writing. All easily accessible in the classroom or at home. No more searching for the right tools to teach writing. With Pobble they’re all in one place. Think writing, think Pobble!
To find out more visit our Pobble schools page.
We would like to thank Collins for sponsoring our 2021 Poetry Competition.
Collins has been publishing educational and informative books for more than 200 years. Throughout this rich heritage we have maintained an impressive record in creating market-leading products across various sectors. Our educational publishing continues to deliver up-to-date and engaging student resources and exceptional teacher support to help schools tackle new initiatives and utilise the latest technology. We produce resources for UK and International curricula to support teachers and pupils at school and outside the classroom environment.
Collins is a leading educational publisher of primary and secondary resources. We support thousands of teachers and pupils, providing award-winning materials that enhance the learning experience with our easy to use and flexible programmes. Visit www.collins.co.uk.