PUBLISHED 10 March 2023
During early March, a small group of Year 7 pupils, accompanied by Mr. Bridges, took their memorised poetry pieces along with them (we’re talking metaphorically here, i.e. in their heads), as performed at the fabulous ‘Poetry by Heart’ House Competition House event the previous week, as they called in on Year 6 at Heyhouses Primary School.
The intention behind the visit, an initiative which AKS English Department put in place ten years ago now, is to bring together a number of Year 7 pupils with groups of Year 6 pupils to work together upon dramatic outcomes, using recited verse as a springboard. This year, AKS pupils helped their charges freeze-frame key moments from both Roald Dahl’s ‘The Three Little Pigs’ and ‘Jabberwocky’ by Lewis Carroll, whilst the Year 6 audience were also treated to perfectly-delivered versions of Roger McGough’s ‘The Sound Collector’ (where they had to imitate the wide variety of noises mentioned), Hilaire Belloc’s ‘Matilda’, Shel Silverstein’s ‘Sick’ and Marriott Edgar’s ‘The Lion and Albert’ (which saw the production of a day at the seaside photograph album, focussing upon characters’ facial expressions). These pieces, as all AKS Year 7s will testify, featured in this year’s 2023 ‘Poetry by Heart’ booklet, with which the entire cohort will be familiar.
Every credit must go to the Year 7 leaders of this morning away from the AKS classroom – their willingness to take the reins and lead was superb and drew glowing comments from the Heyhouses staff and warm, well-earned applause from Year 6. Their confidence, enthusiasm, and ability to communicate readily with younger pupils, none of whom they knew upon arrival, made the event more than worthwhile and one very likely to be repeated when ‘Poetry by Heart 2024’ comes around!