Poetry judge inspires Putney

Clare Pollard (esteemed poet, playwright and author) returned to Putney High School, having judged the annual Poetry Festival, to run a series of poetry workshops, very generously supported by parent fundraising via FOPHS. She worked with every year group, seeing nearly 500 students!

Clare, whose poetry writing career began when she was not much older than some of our students, winning her first award at just 19, explored the skill of creating a convincing voice in monologues, unpacked the art of crafting language in the condensed poetic form and inspired A Level English Literature students with a masterclass in reading 'unseen' poetry. She is an award-winning poet and exciting voice in contemporary poetry and we are delighted that she was able to judge the Poetry Festival 2026 and share her talents with us through her workshops.