Two Highfield Leadership Academy pupils who penned poignant poetry as part of the school’s Remembrance Day activities have won top prizes in a competition.

Pupils had the opportunity to enter poems exploring themes of sacrifice, loss and remembering fallen heroes in a competition run by Blackpool-based Top Class Tuition.

Pupils Elle Wraith in Year 9 and Emme Hopwood in Year 7 were selected as Key Stage 3 category winners for their thoughtful and moving poems, from entries from schools across Blackpool and the Fylde.

13 year old Elle was awarded first prize for her lyrical poem Death’s Door, while 11 year old Emme won second prize for her rhyming verse.

Our Executive Principal Helen Mackenzie OBE said,

“Our pupils treated the topic of remembrance with maturity and poignancy, and produced some beautiful poetry. Well done, girls! Everyone at Highfield is very proud of you.”

Elle has won a voucher kindly donated by West Coast Rock Café. In addition, her prizewinning poem will be published online alongside other celebrated wartime and remembrance themed poetry at www.warpoetry.co.uk.

Highfield pupils produced their poems at our weekly Poetry & Cake Club, using lesson materials provided by Top Class Tuition aimed at inspiring creativity around the theme of remembrance.

Elle commented,

“My tutor showed us some videos of soldiers from the war and I was very thankful for what they did.”

Emme said,

“I thought what the soldiers did was really brave – they were much braver than I would have been. I read everybody else’s poems and I thought they were really good, so to get a prize was great.”

Susan Frain from Top Class Tuition added,

“We were pleased with the entries we received, and the judge said that it was a difficult decision to make.”