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Unite |
Poetry Competition
| Ideal for 11-18


Unite Video

When the world divides, words connect...

What matters to your students?

Their friends. Their family. Their community. A team they belong to. Something they love. Something they'd change. A cause they believe in. A place that matters. A hope for the future.
Unite is an open-themed poetry competition, so every student can start with something that matters to them.
They can take Unite at face value and write about connection, teamwork, or bringing people together, but they don't have to... Their poem could be personal, funny, thoughtful, hopeful, angry, or powerful. It could explore a tiny moment in their own life or something happening in the wider world.
There are no restrictions on style or theme. Poems can be up to 80 lines.
Need a starting point?
Not every student will know immediately what they want to write about. Try one of the four routes below and see what sparks an idea.
Find your poem idea
Start with the one that feels most like you. There is no right answer.
MY PEOPLE
Write about someone, or a group of people, who matters to you.
A best friend • someone in your family • your team • your community • someone you miss • someone who inspires you
MY WORLD
Write about a place, experience or part of your life that matters to you.
Where you live • your culture • school • nature • a favourite place • a memory • something you do every day
MY VOICE
Write about something you believe in, care about or want to change.
Something that feels unfair • a cause • something that makes you angry • something people misunderstand • a message you want heard
OUR FUTURE
Write about the kind of world you'd like to be part of.
Hope • kindness • belonging • celebrating difference • working together • a dream for the future • making things better
Still stuck? Start with one person, one place, one feeling, or one thing you'd change. Your poem can grow from there.
Their poem. Their subject. Their voice.
Unite gives students the freedom to write about something they actually care about, in a style that feels like their own. They can be funny, personal, passionate, imaginative, hopeful, angry, or thought-provoking.
Whether they're confident writers or usually the ones saying "I don't know what to write", there's a way into Unite... And getting them started doesn't mean planning a poetry unit from scratch...
One lesson. We've done the planning.
Unite is easy to run with a whole class. Introduce the idea, help students find their starting point, give them time to write, then send us their poems.
The competition can fit around what you're already teaching, or you can run it as a ready-made poetry activity on its own.
1
INTRODUCE
Share the idea
2
INSPIRE
Find a starting point
3
WRITE
Create their poem
4
ENTER
Send them in
GET THEM STARTED
Intro video • Idea activity • Example poems
GET THEM WRITING
Ready-made lesson plan • PowerPoint • Poetry techniques guide
GET THEM ENTERED
Entry forms • Printable and online entry options
More than a poetry competition
Unite gives students a reason to explore ideas, experiment with language, and communicate something that matters to them.
CREATIVE WRITING
Experiment with language, form, and poetic techniques.
SELF EXPRESSION
Develop an individual voice and communicate ideas with purpose.
CONFIDENCE
Give students a meaningful reason to write and share their work.
DISCUSSION & REFLECTION
Explore experiences, viewpoints and the world around them.
Supports English, literacy, PSHE, enrichment and creative writing across KS3 and KS4.
Perfect for National Poetry Day on 1st October 2026!
Give their writing a real audience
This isn't just another piece of work that gets marked and disappears into an exercise book.
Students could see their poems published in a real book and receive a Certificate of Merit.
Every entrant also receives a bookmark.
And there are prizes to win!
FOR STUDENTS
1ST PRIZE
Beats headphones £100 Amazon voucher
2 × 2ND PRIZES   Kindles
3 × 3RD PRIZES   £50 cinema vouchers
FOR SCHOOLS
£1,000
Young Writers' Award of Excellence
PLUS every participating school receives a free copy of the book their students feature in. The more entries you send, the more free books you'll receive.
Ready to get your students writing?
Everything you need to introduce Unite, inspire ideas, and get your students writing is ready to use.
Closing date: Friday 23rd October 2026
Already completed your poems? Enter now →

Closing Date: Friday 23rd Oct 2026

We've worked with over 20,000 schools. Here's what some of them have to say...

Great competitions and easy to use resources! Highly recommend to all literacy teachers

Mrs King, Steyning Grammar School
See more...

Printed Resources

Save money on printing, let us know how many you'd like of the resources below, and we'll pop them in the post for you!

Teacher Information Folder
Student Entry Form/Planning Sheet
Poster

Enter Details to Download

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You'll get access to...

Student Entry Form/Planning Sheet
Example Poems
Unite Poetry Activity
Poster
Lesson Plan
Teacher Information Folder
Teacher Entry Form
Poetic Techniques Glossary
Powerpoint PDF
Powerpoint
Advanced Poetic Techniques Activity
Parent Information Guide
Word Doc Entry Form
Online Writing Portal Teacher Guide
Online Writing Portal Student Guide

Competition Rules

To make sure your entries are valid, please follow the rules listed below:

Closing Date: Friday 23rd Oct 2026

THE POEM
  • Poems must be the student's own work.
  • Poems can be written in any poetic style and use any poetic techniques.
  • Poems should be no longer than 80 lines.
  • Work can be handwritten or typed.
  • An adult can scribe/type for a student where needed.
  • One entry per student.

WHAT TO INCLUDE
  • Each entry should include the student's name, age, and school name.
  • Initials or first names only can be used where necessary.
  • If there is anything we should take into consideration when reading the work, please note this on the entry.

SENDING YOUR ENTRIES
  • There is no limit to the number of students a school can enter.
  • Where possible, please submit entries together.
  • Include one Teacher Entry Form per teacher.
  • If entries need to be kept separated by class, please submit a separate Teacher Entry Form for each class.
  • Entries can be completed on the student entry form, written on an A4 sheet, typed, or submitted through the Online Writing Portal.

GOOD TO KNOW
  • Free to enter.
  • No purchase is necessary to win.
  • Copyright remains with the author.
  • Open to UK entrants only.
Closing date: Friday 23rd October 2026
Already completed your poems? Enter Now →

If you are unsure on any rules or have any queries, please don't hesitate to Contact Us.

For Schools

£1,000
The school with our favourite set of entries will win £1,000 & the Young Writers' Award of Excellence.
PLUS a free book for every participating school.
You'll receive one free copy of the book featuring your students' poems for every 30 entries you submit.

For Pupils

1ST PRIZE
Beats headphones £100 Amazon voucher
2 × 2ND PRIZES
Kindles
3 × 3RD PRIZES
£50 cinema vouchers
Every entrant receives a bookmark. Young writers whose work we'd love to publish also receive a Certificate of Merit.
(School and student winners will be chosen from published entries received in the autumn term 2026 - no purchase necessary. Prizes will be awarded the following term.)
Download Now

It’s easy to take part!

  1. Download entry forms
  2. Your students write or type their entry (or an adult can scribe) ensuring their name (or initials) and age are included
  3. Submit your entries using one of the options below

Enter Online

  Email

Email your entries to [email protected] and please ensure your pupils' names and ages are on their work, and that you include your name, school name and school address in your email. Thank you!

  Upload

Upload your entries

  Entrants type their entries online

Why not combine literacy and ICT by using the online writing portal? Entrants can type their work and you can submit them at the click of a button!

Writing Portal

  File Sender Services

You can use different file sender services to enter digitally, such as: WeTransfer, Google Classroom, Dropbox, Send Anywhere, Egress, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Smash, Files.com, Apple iCloud Drive, FileCloud

Please ensure your name, email and school name and address are included with your entries if you send entries digitally via a non-Young Writers service.

Download Now

Send by Freepost

Send your entries, along with your teacher entry form, to:

FREEPOST RSLY-AUJA-RAHY
Young Writers SS
Remus House
Peterborough
PE2 9BF

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Get In Touch

Email
[email protected]

Tel
01733 890066

Post
FREEPOST RSLY-AUJA-RAHY
Young Writers SS
Remus House
Peterborough
PE2 9BF

Closing Date: Friday 23rd Oct 2026