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

100 Years Past

By Danielle Davis
Belmont Community School
Aged 15

One’s Sorrow…

By Natasha Aspray
Parkside Academy
Aged 12

sadness of 3

By eve laverick
parkside acadmedy
Aged 12

There Is No End

By Jacob Taylor
Belmont Community School
Aged 15

When the Future Remembers You

By Elizabeth Percy
Belmont Community School
Aged 15

Sadness

By Brooklyn Crosby
Parkside Academy
Aged 12

WAR

By Lizzie Hartness
Hurworth secondry
Aged 12

The Banshee Calls

By Kian Campbell
Parkside Academy
Aged 12

The World At War

By Kelsey Francis
Parkside Acadamy
Aged 11

A poppy red

By Daniel marston
St. Bede's School & Sixth Form College
Aged 12

mustard gas! quick boys run

By neeve ridley
parkside academy
Aged 11

World war 1

By Conner holmes
Parkside Academy
Aged 12

Is war fun?

By Owen James Richardson
Parkside Academy, Willington
Aged 12

The Dying Solider

By Sophie Boden
Parkside Academy
Aged 13

The soldier who had no hope

By Kazia Elgie
Parkside Academy
Aged 12

A Birds Eye View

By Max Elcoat
Parkside Academy
Aged 13

The soldier who had no hope

By Kazia Elgie
Parkside Academy
Aged 12

The Dying Solider

By Sophie Boden
Parkside Academy
Aged 13

the sounds of war

By Katie Allport
Parkside academy
Aged 11

April 25th

By Elana Preston
Greenfield Community and Arts College
Aged 11