The Northern Echo's Schools' Poetry Competition

The Northern Echo appealed to all secondary schools in the region to get involved and to get their pupils writing a poem to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.

The war inspired some of the greatest poems in the English language and it was the current generation's turn to put their thoughts and feelings in words.

The winner, 14-year-old Olivia Skilbeck was chosen by a panel of experts and received the latest iPad. The top ten poems were included in a special edition of The Northern Echo published on Remembrance Sunday – November 9.

Click here to read Olivia's poem, Blood on the Battlefield, along with work by the other finalists.

The competition, which is now closed to entries received a huge response from schools across the region and you can read their poems below.

Click on the title to read the full poem

My father at war

By Casey Topping
Greenfield Community College
Aged 11

I’m a soldier

By Daniel Cockburn
Greenfield community college
Aged 12

Dead.

By Rachel Sheppard
Parkside Academy
Aged 12

The young soldier

By Bethany Cook
The Academy at Shotton Hall
Aged 12

Trench Life

By Anya Thompson
Parkside Academy
Aged 12

War cry

By Courtney archer
The academy of shotton hall school
Aged 12

We Remember You

By Kieran Appleby
Belmont Community School
Aged 14

Remember Them

By Rachel Daniel
Belmont Community School
Aged 15

The Lost Soldier

By Karl Turnbull
Belmont Community School
Aged 15

How to Die

By Emily Dudley
Belmont Community School
Aged 15

Devastation across the nation

By Ellie Featherstone
Parkside Academy
Aged 12

The young soldier

By Bethany Cook
The Academy at Shotton Hall
Aged 12

a poem for peace

By Maisie Moore
Parkside academy
Aged 13

Who will remember?

By Erin Shears
Sedgefield Community College
Aged 16

As They Go

By Rebecca Mason
Parkside Academy
Aged 12

The world at war

By Kelsey Francis
Parkside Acadamy
Aged 11

The world at war

By Kelsey Francis
Parkside Acadamy
Aged 11

Hell!

By Hannah Silliker
Parkside Academy
Aged 11

Geordie Soldier

By Lewis Bainbridge
Belmont Community School
Aged 14

We will never forget them

By Amelia Bray
Belmont Community School
Aged 15