English lessons: Children’s poetic perspectives

Abstract

Children from eleven PGCE partnership schools participated in a poetry writing competition. In writing a poem entitled An English Lesson they have provided an insight into what they experience in the English classroom. The poems, published in‐house as an anthology, have been analysed using the key concepts of the National Curriculum for English (QCA, 2007) – competence; creativity; cultural understanding; and critical understanding. This article accompanies some of the children’s poems.

Key words:

• children’s poetry
• National Curriculum for English
• English lesson
• Initial Teacher Education