Poetry by Heart Competition 2026

Durham Sixth Form Centre is celebrating another outstanding year of success in the national Poetry by Heart competition, with current Y13 student Daniella winning the Key Stage 5 category at The Globe this summer. Widely regarded as one of the country’s most prestigious poetry competitions, reaching the national final is a significant achievement in itself, making Daniella’s victory an exceptional accomplishment and a proud moment for everyone.

It was an extremely hot day at The Globe as Daniella and other finalists came out to perform their chosen poems on stage. Staff and students were all there to support Daniella’s performance of ‘Peach’ by DH Lawrence, which stood out for its expression and control.

Later in the day, Daniella had to perform the poem again, this time in the intimate Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. This performance was specifically for the judges, although staff and students were also able to attend and again the performance was incredible. In their feedback, judges commented that Daniella’s performance stood out for its clarity, humour and Daniella’s sense of ownership and confidence. The other students in this category all performed well, but it was another special moment to see and hear Daniella perform in this small space.

Over the last three years, Poetry by Heart has grown in popularity within Durham Sixth Form Centre, with three of our students making it to the finals. Millie performed in the Freestyle category in 2024, Charlie won the Key Stage 5 Classic category in 2025 and now Daniella in 2026. Learning a poem off by heart and performing it to others is a powerful way to bring poetry to life, the competition truly is a celebration of young people’s voices and the ways poetry belongs to us all.

Congratulations to Daniella for her wonderful achievement.