The CLiPPA Shadowing Scheme

Photo ©Ellie Kurttz

The CLiPPA (The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education Poetry Award) is an award for children’s poetry and the shadowing scheme is a fantastic way for children to be an integral part of the celebrations. When the shortlisted collections are announced, our team of expert teachers write detailed planning linked to each collection which focuses on the appreciation, performance, response to and writing of poetry. Schools can register to take part in the shadowing scheme and receive updates and links to the materials when they are released. As part of the process, groups and individual children can pick a poem that they have particularly enjoyed and film a performance of this to submit to the shadowing scheme judges. The judges pick a winner for each collection, who will then be invited to perform at the award ceremony. The winners will have a wonderful experience on the day and will have the opportunity to meet the shortlisted poets who will be performing alongside them on stage in the award show. This year, for the first time in its 20 year history the shortlist was announced live at a virtual event on 3 May hosted by Chris Riddell and streamed to thousands of schools in the UK. It included poetry performances from all the shortlisted poets.

 View the Shadowing Scheme 2023 winners' videos .

The following winners were announced on 28 June and performed at the National Theatre in London on 10 July

Year 1 Swaffield Primary - Uplifiting from Blow a Kiss, Catch a Kiss by Joseph Coelho

Year 3 St Matthews School - Marshmallows from Marshmallow Clouds by Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek

Year 5 St Margaret Marys RC Primary - I hope it rains today from Let's Chase Stars Together by Matt Goodfellow

Year 5 Hillbrook Primary - Unbroken from Choose Love by Nicola Davies

Year 6 Carterhatch Junior - Remember III from These are the Words by Nikita Gill

Sign up for the CLiPPA Shadowing Scheme 2024

The full CLiPPA 2023 shortlist:

• EYFS/Year 1 Blow a Kiss Catch a Kiss by Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Nicola Killen, (Andersen Press), 
• Year 2/3/4 Marshmallow Clouds by Ted Kooser and Connie Wanek, illustrated by Richard Jones, (Walker Books), 
• Year 5/6 Let’s Chase Stars Together, by Matt Goodfellow, (Bloomsbury Education),
• Year 5/6 Choose Love by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Petr Horáček, (Graffeg), 
• Year 7/8 These are the Words by Nikita Gill, (Macmillan Children’s Books). 

Watch Shadowing Winners for 2022

Reception, Churchend Academy performing Caterpillar Cake from Caterpillar Cake by Matt Goodfellow

Year 2, St Francis Catholic Primary School - The Poet Says No from Cloud Soup by Kate Wakeling

Year 3, Sandringham Primary School - The Sea is a Wild Horse from Stars with Flaming Tails by Valerie Bloom

Year 6 , Alexandra Junior School- The Thinking Tree from Being Me Poems about Thoughts, Worries and Feelings by Liz Brownlee, Matt Goodfellow and Laura Mucha

Year 9, Levenshulme High School  - The Crossing from The Crossing by Manjeet Mann 

View the winning schools video submissions for the Shadowing Scheme 2022.