I Have A Dream (For Primary Schools)

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What do your pupils dream of?

Travelling back in time? Their future career? A million YouTube subscribers? Perhaps a kinder or more equal world? Whatever dream they choose to write about, they can do so in any poetic style.

This engaging theme encourages reflective and imaginative thinking, whilst meeting curriculum objectives such as vocabulary, composition, creative expression & writing for different purposes and audiences. You can also link it to your topic this term for a fab cross-curricular activity.

The FREE resources guide your pupils through the poem writing process from idea to finished piece, building their confidence and helping them to see how fun poetry can be - including any reluctant writers! You can adapt the activity to suit your class, so everyone can take part.

There are individual prizes to be won, every pupil receives a bookmark and sticker, and your school could win £1,000!

Request your free resources today, and see your pupils become published poets!

[Rules] =>

Only one entry per pupil; there is no limit to the number of entries per school. Teachers, please submit your entries together where possible! Please use one teacher entry form for each teacher entering.
Ask your pupils to write their piece (or an adult can scribe/type it), ensuring their name, age and school name are included. (Initials or first names only can be supplied if necessary.)
Work can be on the entry form or an A4 sheet of paper, or typed (on a computer or in the Online Writing Portal).
Poems can be written in any poetic style & use any poetic techniques.
Copyright remains with the author.
UK entrants only.
Free to enter.
Pupils' work must be their own! (Please note on the entry if there is anything we need to take into consideration when reading the work.)

[School Prizes] =>

£1,000 and Young Writers' Award of Excellence!

for the school that submits the best set of entries in the Spring Term 2026.

Plus, every participating school receives a free copy of the book, which features their pupils. The more entries you send, the more free books you receive: for every 30 entries you send in for this competition, you'll receive a complimentary copy. (E.g., 1-30 receive 1 copy, 31-60 receive 2 copies, etc - every participating school receives at least one free copy.)

The school winner will be announced next term.

[Student Prizes] => The top 5 published writers will each win a fantastic goody bag, including a fitness watch and a trophy!

5 x runners-up will each win a £20 Smyths voucher.

Plus, every entrant receives a bookmark and a sticker for taking part. Pupils whose work we'd like to publish also receive a certificate.

Pupil winners will be chosen from entries received in the Spring Term 2026 that have permission to be published. Prizes will be awarded the following term. Image for illustration purposes only, contents and style may vary.

[Tips] =>
[YouTube] => dFEuQdkjmy8 [Opens] => 2026-01-05 [Closes] => 2026-02-27 [Extended] => 1 [Orion ID] => 730 [RR Ontraport ID] => 766 [DL Ontraport ID] => 767 [Post Class] => PS [Orion Teacher Year] => KS2 [How to Enter] => We can't wait to read your pupils' poems! [Winners Subheading] => [Winners Intro] =>
[Winner Word] => [Schools/Clubs] => Schools [Thumbnail] => https://bonacia-sites.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/young-writers/ems/competitions/1756467184-7764-IHaveADream_PageIcon.jpg [Background] => https://bonacia-sites.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/young-writers/ems/competitions/1756467205-3552-IHaveADream_Background.jpg [Logo] => https://bonacia-sites.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/young-writers/ems/competitions/1756467184-2323-IHaveADream-Logo.png [Independent Intro] => Inspire your child to dream big and write boldly with I Have a Dream!

Whether your young writer imagines a world run by kids, travels back to Ancient Egypt, pictures their future career, wishes for a kinder world, or explores a spooky nightmare, this engaging theme sparks creativity and is a fantastic way for them to share ideas & express themselves.

Plus, every participating child receives a bookmark and sticker, and there are prizes to be won, which independent entrants are eligible to win too.

Get involved today & you could see your child become a published poet as well as more confident in their writing abilities.

How To Enter

Your child can write their poem on the entry form, a sheet of A4 paper, or type it.

Email your child's entry along with their name and full address to: [email protected]

Upload their entry at www.youngwriters.co.uk/competitions/enter

Post your child's entry along with their, name and full address to:

Young Writers PS
Remus House
Peterborough
PE2 9BF

Closing Date: 13th February 2026

[Independent Rules] =>

Only one entry per person.
Your child's work can be on the entry form or an A4 sheet of paper or typed. (An adult can assist!)
Please include your child's name, age and full postal address on their entry.
The poem can be written in any poetic style & use any poetic techniques.
Your child's work must be their own.
Copyright remains with the author.
Free to enter.
UK entrants only.

[Independent Prizes] => The top 5 published writers will each win a fantastic goody bag, including a fitness watch and a trophy!

5 x runners-up will each win a £20 Smyths voucher.

Plus, every entrant receives a bookmark and a sticker for taking part. Pupils whose work we'd like to publish also receive a certificate.

Pupil 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. Image for illustration purposes only, contents and style may vary.

Independent entrants are eligible for pupil prizes.

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This contest is now closed.

If you have late entries, please email us at [email protected] and we'll do our best to accommodate them.

Open contests can be found here.

What happens now?

Our editorial team will read every single entry. Any child whose work they'd love to publish in a book will be sent a letter and certificate. Children whose work hasn't met the contest criteria will have the chance to resubmit their work. Winners will be chosen from published pieces once all the books in the series have been published.

Contest Timeline

Stage	Date	Status
Letters Sent	By 4^th May 2026	✔ Complete
Books Published	18^th May 2026 - 22^nd June 2026	⏳ In Progress
Winners Announced	17^th July 2026	⏳ Coming Soon

Please note we aim to keep these dates as accurate as possible but can be subject to change.

For more detailed information about your school's entries, please log in (or create) your teacher account here using the email you included on your teacher entry form.