James Lloyd, winner of the Raymond Wilson Poetry Prize
Every year, UoR students are invited to explore their creative side by entering the Raymond Wilson Poetry Competition. Held in memory of the late brilliant educationalist and Emeritus Professor of Education at Reading, the prize awards £200 for the winning poem.
This year’s winner, James Lloyd, is a Postgraduate Research student within the Classics department of the University of Reading. James’s poem, ‘April Shower’, describes in humorous detail the many things we can forget when April Showers strike. A poem like this helps make learning engaging, whilst also reflecting the daily amusements and challenge that children encounter in their gradual assimilation into the big wide world.
James Lloyd said:
“I am delighted to have won the 2017-18 Raymond Wilson prize. Thank you to everyone involved in the competition, especially the school children who helped to choose it! I hope that the poem has raised a few smiles, umbrellas, and hoods.”
Stephanie Sharp, the organiser of the competition at the IOE, commented:
“Children liked it because they understood it and thought that children everywhere would enjoy it.”
The competition is judged by children in a local school and their vote carries equal weight with Stephanie. This brings the perspectives of teacher, writer and young reader to bear on the judging.
Raymond Wilson was an exceptional educationalist, as well as an inspired educational editor who introduced new editions of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poetry and Jane Austen’s novels. Wilson was also well-known as an intuitive, sensitive critic and a prolific anthologist.
More information: s.sharp@reading.ac.uk(ext 2675).
THE WINNING POEM
April Shower
When you hear the rumbling
Of storm clouds in the skies,
And rain drops come a tumbling,
And puddles start to rise,
You’ll wish you’d not forgot
To wear your anorak,
or have your favourite brolly
Stowed in your school rucksack.
So when you hear the rumbling
Of storm clouds in the skies,
And rain drops come a tumbling,
And puddles start to rise,
From their pitter patter
You’ll have no need to cower,
Because you’re well prepared
For this April shower.
James Lloyd, 2018
ted to share with you some information regarding the Stephen Spender Prize for poetry in translation, which might be of interest to MFL and English departments, as well as to any learners with English as additional language. It could be especially empowering for learners who have community or migrant languages.
You are warmly invited to the 5th annual The Reading Guild of Artists (RGA) Summer Show at the Institute of Education: Art building L04: June 14th to 24th, 10-4 (includes Saturday and Sunday opening). This year the show includes an amazing selection of extremely accomplished and eclectic works that cannot fail to inspire, as well as workshops and activities. run by the RGA 
The tuition-fee funded Primary School Direct programme could be for you. This route allows you to:
The Improving Equity and Inclusion through Education (IEIE) Research group recently welcomed guest speaker, Lærke Testmann, to the Institute of Education. Laerke travelled to Reading from The Danish School of Education, Aarhus University in Copenhagen, Denmark, especially to present her research on “Children’s communities in school – perspectives on inclusion” – a project that investigates how children collaborate on organizing their social life in school in communities. Laeke explained the project involved:
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