World record breaking Stourport pupils
Pupils at Stourport Primary Academy are celebrating becoming world record breakers after taking part in the largest poetry lesson and being among 125,000 children to co-write a poem.
The event, marking National Poetry Day, included 166 key stage two pupils from the school and, with 43,516 children taking part in the lesson across the world, has earned them a place in the Guinness Book of Records.
It was organised by poet Laura Mucha and the poem – What do You Think Counts? can be read on the online Children’s Poetry Archive.
Children came up with ideas for the poem, helped edit and voted for what lines to include in the seven verses from, “I’m counting how many licks to finish a lollipop” to “I’m counting on the people in power to protect the planet”.
Zoom and YouTube Live were used to create the largest ever poetry lesson and strict evidence-based criteria had to be used for the attempt to earn a place in the renowned Guinness Book of Records.
Claudia Hopkirk, assistant headteacher and English co-ordinator, said: “Taking part in such a massive event was very exciting and our children are absolutely thrilled to be world record breakers.
“They loved contributing to the poem and the experience has filled them with enthusiasm for writing and reading poetry.”
