The SLAM was really exciting and stressful and the other competitors/groups were fantastic with their poems. Personally, I really enjoyed it and the days leading up to the SLAM competition and I felt really proud after the scores were announced when we got third place among all these other poems. If there was another poetry SLAM I would love to participate in it. I didn't even know there would be all this work and I didn't know that I would connect with all these new people. TS [7R]

Today has been a wonderful, exciting, educational experience with Miss Bryan and the lovely, energetic fun poet Deanna Roger. I got to have a fun time doing something that I never knew that I could do before, which is poetry! In particular, what I did not know was that I can just make poetry well by myself, but it is even better and more creative with other people. This whole experience has increased my creativity and inspired me to try new things and do more reading and poetry. LA [7B]

I found this experience very amusing and it has opened me up to many opportunities. I loved working with Deanna Roger and found it fun. The trip itself helped me discuss with other people in my age group. JB [7R]

I have been nominated in the top 10 for the poetry slam. My group of four have done a great job in making our poem called "Don't feel fear, Love is near".

Today, we went to St Marks School and performed our poem. The poets performed their poems which were so funny and with deep meanings, then we had time to rehearse our poem. The competition started and we heard SOOO MANY GOOD POEMS! I'm really proud of other poets who made incredible poems which I loved. Happily, my group, named "The 4 Stanzas" achieved 3rd place! I’m so happy to be included and thank you for choosing me. AF [7Y]

I loved this experience as it helped me gain confidence and helped me have more social skills with my friends and pupils. We worked as a group and had joy with each other. We achieved 3rd place, which gave me pride and joy as we had been working for only two days, making us flabbergasted.  RS [7Y]

This experience has been amazing and has developed my interest in poetry. It helped me to socialise and open up with different thoughts. I have found a new hobby. Achieving third place along with the help of my teammates has made me feel proud and thankful. MK [7W]

I am still buzzing from that experience with Deanna Roger. It was unforgettable! We may not have placed first, but I'm still grateful I got to go on this trip. Being a judge and hearing other people's poems that really related to me. Message to future Y7s going on this trip next year; just remember that it's okay to get last, just enjoy yourself and you only fail when you give up. IK [7O]

Today I went to the Poetry Slam Competition 2026 and I have got to say that it was a great experience and challenge for me. Firstly, I was in a poetry workshop with Deanna Roger, who was an excellent poet. The first week was to test us and to get to know us so she could see who would have the key skills and the contribution towards this. Luckily, I was picked along with my peers, so the week after, I had another workshop with Deanna for the whole day and it was really fun. When the day of the Slam came, I was nervous. Even though we had some time to practise, I thought we were not going to get in the top 3, but we did; we got 3rd place. I really enjoyed it and had fun. SS [7P]

Taking part in the Poetry Slam 2026 was an amazing opportunity. From the beginning of the workshop, where we were creating different poems with the poet Deanna Roger, to going up on stage to perform in front of 11 different schools, is definitely something I will never forget! We started off with a bunch of cut-up lines from a variety of poems. We then got into groups and cut down our lines to poem-length. We rehearsed it over and over again, thinking about our formation on stage. We went to St Mark's School and listened to a bunch of poems from poets working with the students. We were quite nervous, but when we got onto the stage, everything flowed really well. It was Heston Community School's first time taking part in this competition, and I am delighted to say that my group "The 4 Stanzas" won third place! This experience has definitely allowed me to let my imagination run wild and is an experience I would recommend. Thank you to Miss Bryan for organising the event. SG [7Y]