A BLACKBURN student was able to meet the Poet Laureate after drafting a globally recognised poem.

Sixth form student Sophie Thomas was able to put her language skills to the test and write a poem that reached the final of a prestigious competition organised by the Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference.

The Queen Elizabeth Grammar School pupil penned a moving poem about the experiences of children in foster care. The poem begins: “Children, one thousand before me, faded footprints on the bedroom floor.”

It deals with themes of loneliness and home life.

Despite the competition receiving entries from around the world, Sophie’s poem was one of four runners up and she was invited to a prestigious event in London.

Her success as a poet comes shortly after she won the Northern Schools MFL Debating Competition held at Cheadle Hulme School, speaking in Spanish.

As one of the finalists of the poetry competition Sophie was invited to the HMC Annual Conference where each finalist read their poem to the audience, and Carol Ann Duffy, the Poet Laureate.

Paul Oliver at QEGS said: “Sophie was a runner-up, but just to make the final was quite an achievement with entries being received from HMC schools all over the world. The standard was extremely high.”

“After winning debating competition she once again showed her prowess and put her language skills to the test.”

The Headmasters and Headmistresses' Conference, who run an annual poetry competition, is a professional association of heads of the world's leading independent schools. HMC has 253 members in the UK and Republic Of Ireland, a further 63 international members and 12 additional members.

The 100-year-old organisation is the oldest and most influential association of its kind in the English speaking world.