What do your students dream of?
I Have A Dream invites your students to write a poem inspired by hope, ambition and imagination. Their dream might be personal or world-wide, realistic or nearly impossible – what matters is they have the opportunity to think positively and creatively. It’s a joyful way to encourage reflection, optimism and self-belief through poetry.
Check out the free online resources including a lesson plan, PowerPoint and engaging idea-generation activities, so you have a ready-made activity with no extra planning needed. Students are supported step by step and will quickly build confidence as their ideas take shape on the page.
Students can develop vocabulary, poetic techniques and composition skills while exploring themes such as aspiration, identity, social responsibility and personal growth. The competition also links easily to English, PSHE and wider curriculum topics.
With no limits on style or theme, students are free to express themselves in a way that suits them, creating original work that reflects their own voice and outlook. There are also exciting prizes to motivate writers further, including £250, Apple AirPods and cinema vouchers.
Request printed entry forms and posters for your whole school via the Printed Resources tab, delivered free of charge. Prefer to work digitally? The Writing Portal in your teacher account allows students to type their poems online and submit them together in just a few clicks.
A classroom full of motivated, confident writers, thinking positively about the future? That’s a dream well within reach.
The school that submits the best overall set of entries will win £1,000 and Young Writers' Award of Excellence.
PLUS every participating school receives a free copy of the book their pupils feature in!
(Remember, you receive 1 free copy for every 30 entries you submit! E.g. 1-30 entries you receive 1 copy, 31-60 entries you receive 2 copies, etc.)
[Student Prizes] =>Our favourite poem will win £250 and a trophy!
One 2nd place winner will get a pair of Apple AirPods and a trophy.
Three 3rd place winners will each win a £50 cinema gift card.
PLUS
Every entrant receives a bookmark. We award a certificate of merit to all young writers whose work we'd love to publish.
(Winners will be chosen from entries received in the Spring Term 2026 that have permission to be published. Prizes will be awarded in the following term.)
[Tips] =>What do you dream about?
I Have A Dream gives you the opportunity to write a poem about your hopes, wishes, aspirations - or something wild and impossible. Personal or worldwide changes, achievable or improbable dreams, you can let your creativity fly and have fun with words.
You can write in any style and can interpret the theme as you wish, so you can express yourself in a way that suits you, creating something that is uniquely yours. There are incredible prizes to be won too, with £250, Apple AirPods and cinema vouchers up for grabs!
Download the entry form (which also includes some ideas to help you plan your poem) and get writing (you can also type your piece). We can't wait to read about your dream, and if it's to be a published poet, then maybe it's about to come true...
How To Enter
Ask permission from your parent/guardian to email your entry along with your name and full home address to: [email protected]
OR
Upload your entry at www.youngwriters.co.uk/competitions/enter
OR
Post your entry along with your name and full home address to:
Young Writers SS
Remus House
Peterborough
PE2 9BF
Closing Date: 13th February 2026
Our favourite poem will win £250 and a trophy
One 2nd place winner will get a pair of Apple AirPods and a trophy
Three 3rd place winners will each win a £50 cinema gift card.
PLUS
Every entrant receives a bookmark. We award a certificate of merit to all young writers whose work we'd love to publish.
(Winners will be chosen from entries received in the Spring Term 2026 that have permission to be published. Prizes will be awarded in the following term. Independent entrants are eligible to win.)
[Meta Title] => I Have A Dream Poetry Writing Competition for 11-18 year-olds [Meta Description] => Inspire your students to think positively with the I Have A Dream competition for 11-18 year-olds. [Meta Keywords] => I Have A Dream, poetry, poem, poetry competition, teacher toolkit, teacher resources, free resources, writing resources, poetry resources [Share Title] => I Have A Dream Poetry Writing Competition for 11-18 year-olds [Share Description] => Teach your students how to write a poem, and give them the ability to express themselves and imagine a positive future! [Layout] => main-comp [Icon] => https://bonacia-sites.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/young-writers/ems/competitions/1765530399-6628-I-Have-A-Dream_KS3_Page-Icon_2nd.jpg [Category] => Secondary 11-18 [Type] => poetry [Country] => UK [Resource Hub Text] =>
Congratulations to all the winners! The results for this competition have been published.
View WinnersOpen competitions can be found here.
Remus House, Coltsfoot Drive, Peterborough, PE2 9BF
[email protected] | 01733 890066