PUPILS from schools in the Basildon and Southend area finished in the top 10 of an Inter-School Poetry Competition organised by Essex County Council.

Greensted Primary School, in Basildon, who were one of the Top 10 winners with a Year 5 group entry, made a short film of their entry, which can be viewed on YouTube.

Other local successes included Owen Barratt, a year 7 pupil at The Sweyne Park School in Rayleigh, who came second and fellow Sweyne Park School pupils Anna Wilson and Lucy Wilkinson, from years 8 and 9 respectively, who also finished in the top 10.

Elizabeth Ware, a pupil at Holt Farm Junior School in Rochford, came fourth In September this year, pupils interested in representing their school were asked to submit a poem relating to the Great War to link in with the council culture team’s First World War project – Now The Last Poppy Has Fallen - funded by a grant of £65,600 from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Thanks to National Lottery players, the project has been running since September 2013 and includes a touring exhibition, education sessions and two artists (singer/songwriter Georgia Strand and renowned poet Luke Wright) who were commissioned to write new material relating to the impact of the war on Essex.

Cllr John Spence, the county council’s cabinet member for finance, with responsibility for heritage, culture and the arts, said: “Now the Last Poppy has Fallen focuses on the lives of individuals, families and communities in Essex during the First World War. We were really pleased to be able to involve so many young people in the project and were very impressed by the standard of entries.

“We were delighted with the response and pleased that so many schools took the time to engage with this competition, given their busy schedules.”

It is hoped that there will be a celebratory event for schools in the spring term, where these poems will be showcased.

The council received over 35 entries from a number of different primary and secondary schools which were judged by Luke, who picked out a winner for each year group along with an overall top three.

Each top 10 winner receives a prize of a £25 book voucher and each school in the top three will also receive a poetry workshop from Luke.