Students from all years enjoyed celebrating National Poetry Day by writing poems on the subject of ‘Freedom’. Students read out their poems to an enthusiastic audience assembled in the college library. The poems varied widely between those with a political theme to others which obviously reflected a very personal experience. The moods too varied from an elegiac regret for the loss of freedom to the comic image of a dog complaining of being forced to go on walks for his own good! Members of staff also read poems on the subject, including Prospero’s farewell to his art at the end of ‘The Tempest’ and ‘Clancy of the Overflow’ by A.B. (Banjo) Patterson  – a romantic image of the Australian outback.  Chinese and Romanian students, writing poems in English, are specially congratulated.

The poems were judged and certificates and prizes awarded. Joint first place was given to Roisin Spragg and Nikhil Haria both in Year 13 and the first prize in Year 11 was shared between Abigail Treip and Alexander Popa-Florea. Well done to everyone- special mention should be made of Yingying Feng (Constance) for a beautifully structured lyric, commended by the judge!