A PUPIL from Shirenewton Primary School has been named as the Wales winner in a Premier League poetry competition with judges including Rio Ferdinand and Olly Murs.

Katie Burbidge, aged six, wowed the Premier League Writing Stars judging panel with her poem Different, which celebrated diversity.

And at a special assembly on Tuesday, head teacher Jill Mitchell presented Katie with her prizes – a framed copy of her poem and a Premier League schoolbag full of children’s books.

“It was a nice surprise,” Katie said. “I love reading and I read every night before bed.”

Her mum Sarah, who is a teacher at Shirenewton Primary, said: “I’m incredibly proud of her.

“It’s a lovely surprise for her to win this amazing competition out of so many people.”

Across England and Wales, more than 25,000 children aged 5-11 submitted their original works of poetry for the Premier League Writing Stars contest, around the theme of diversity.

The all-star judging panel was formed of six-time Premier League winner Rio Ferdinand, chart-topping singer Olly Murs, Waterstone’s Children’s Laureate, Lauren Child; and poet Joseph Coelho.

Commenting on Katie’s poem, Ms Child said: “Your poem had a real punchiness to it, and a very lovely positive feeling.”

Each pupil at Shirenewton Primary wrote a poem for the competition, with this year’s theme of diversity tying in with the school’s role as a pioneer school for the Welsh Government’s new curriculum. One of the four objectives of that curriculum is to develop students into ethical, informed citizens.

Before Katie was revealed as the competition winner, head teacher Mrs Mitchell led a diversity-themed assembly with songs and a short play.

She told the pupils: “We do not have a very diverse school community – only a very small minority of our school family come from different cultures. Therefore we feel an even greater sense of importance in teaching our children about diversity.”

Katie and her family will also visit Wolverhampton Wanderers’ stadium, Molineux, in May to meet some Premier League stars and for Katie to get her hands on the famous trophy.

Here is Katie’s contest-winning poem:

Different

Everyone has different hair

But we are all the same.

We might be a different colour

But we are all the same.

We might have different colour eyes

But we are all the same.

We might have different colour clothes

But we are all the same.

We talk differently

But we are all the same.