There was a real buzz of excitement in the air at Chapelford Village Primary this week as we celebrated National Poetry Day with our whole-school theme. This National Poetry Day, we focused on the joy that poetry can bring. Our theme, “Poetry to Make Us Smile”, celebrated the power of playful language, silly rhymes and light-hearted performances to lift our spirits. From humorous verses to dramatic recitals, children across the school used their voices, actions, and imagination to share poems that made them—and their audiences—laugh, smile, and shine with confidence.

In Early Years, the children giggled their way through Michael Rosen’s Chocolate Cake, eagerly joining in with the repeated phrase and actions. Year 1 met a mysterious dog in Down Behind the Dustbin, while Year 2 had great fun performing Spike Milligan’s nonsensical classic On the Ning Nang Nong, with cows going “Bong” and monkeys shouting “Boo!” Year 3 took a quieter turn with Roger McGough’s The Sound Collector, imagining what the world might feel like without sound, and Year 4 had a brilliant time bringing to life Allan Ahlberg’s school-themed Please Mrs Butler—a definite hit among both children and staff! Year 5 explored the magic of reading with Julia Donaldson’s I Opened a Book, creating thoughtful and expressive performances, while Year 6 impressed with their dramatic recital of Michael Rosen’s Strict, performed with flair, humour and just the right amount of protest!

As well as performing their poems, each class selected their favourite line and wrote it on a leaf to contribute to our whole-school “Poet Tree”, which will soon be on display and growing beautifully with lines full of rhythm, imagination and joy. Performances were also filmed and shared on our school Facebook page so families can join in the fun and enjoy the magic of poetry at home too.

Throughout the day, children had the chance to listen, speak, rehearse and perform, focusing on expression, volume, rhythm, and teamwork. Some classes even swapped performances with their neighbours and others took their enthusiasm home, reading favourite poems aloud with their families.

It was a day full of smiles, silly voices and standing ovations and we’re so proud of all our pupils for their confidence, creativity and joy in celebrating the spoken word. A big thank you to all our amazing staff who made the day so special, especially Mrs Cleary who planned out the day for us. Poetry is definitely alive and well at Chapelford Village!