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Middlewich High School

Excellence in Learning – Achievement for All

Poetry Live!

The English Department recently took 20 students from Y9, 10 and 11 to the GCSE Poetry Live Event in the Palace Theatre in Manchester.

The English Department recently took 20 students from Y9, 10 and 11 to the GCSE Poetry Live Event in the Palace Theatre in Manchester. The students enjoyed performances from some of the poets on their GCSE curriculum, including former Poet Laureates like Carol Ann Duffy and Simon Armitage. The poets also answered questions from the audience and shared insights into their work. There was also an illuminating talk from a senior AQA examiner, who talked the audience through what exactly an examiner is looking for in a GCSE Poetry question. It was a great experience for our students, and a fantastic opportunity to see poetry in a radically different context from their usual encounters with it – sitting in classrooms or on exam papers. Year 11 student Blake shares his impressions of the event:

"The poetry trip was fantastic, it was definitely worth the cost. Seeing John Agard was my favourite out of all the poets; he had so much energy and passion for his poetry and I was genuinely inspired by him. I wish Wilfred Owen could have been there though.

It was probably the best English trip I’ve been on, and it would be great to attend similar events in the future."