On Friday, our English department held a Poetry Together virtual event with Sutton Valence Care Home. Poetry Together is a free initiative that encourages schools and care homes to connect with each other, learn a poem off by heart, and come together to recite it.

Several of our Second Form pupils joined in with the live recording, reciting a poem of their choice from memory for the members of Sutton Valence Care Home. In return, some of the residents recited their choice of poem back to our students.

The following students and residents took part in the poetry reading:

Grace Williams (Second Form) – Saw my Teacher on Saturday, Emily Mendoza

Ed Dyer (Second Form) – During Lockdown, Anon

Audrey (Sutton Valence Care Home) – Untitled, Audrey

Harry Edwards (Second Form) – Hope is the thing with feathers, Emily Dickinson

Jake Miller (Second Form) – Don’t Quit, Edgar Guest

George Slater (Second Form) – The Tyger, William Blake

Lynn (Sutton Valence Care Home) – Spellbound, Emily Bronte

Otis Meneses-Bautista (Second Form) – One tree, Anon

Chloe Balcomb (Second Form) – Best friends, Anon

Phylllis and Ruth (Sutton Valence Care Home) – Us two, A.A Milne

Seren Lloyd-Jones (Second Form) – My Dog has no manners, Bruce Lansky

Lynn (Sutton Valence Care Home) – Christmas Eve, Lynn

William Chadwick (Second Form) – Leisure, W H Davies

Joshua Slaughter (Second Form) – The Apple Tree, Anon

Sheila (Sutton Valence Care Home) – Feste’s song from Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare

What a wonderful and caring initiative this has been, thank you to Mr Lee-Browne, Mrs Rose, Mrs Gosden, Mrs Westlake and Mrs Porter for arranging this event, that will benefit so many people within our community. Thank you to Mr Devine for providing an excellent tea and thank you to all of the poetry readers involved.

You can watch the video here.