A DARLINGTON student with a passion for poems reached the national finals of a major competition to find the best young poetry performers in the country.

Cara Dawson, a year 11 student at Polam Hall, in Darlington, beat hundreds of pupils from across the UK to reach the National Poetry by Heart competition finals.

The contest, which was launched last year, invited students from across the country to learn two poems each before reciting them in front of an audience and judges.

Nearly 800 schools signed up for the competition, which saw students battle it out over 38 heats across the country, followed by regional semi-finals and then a grand final at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

Although she didn’t win after reciting A Song for St Cecilia's Day by John Dryden and The Applicant by Sylvia Plath at the finals, 15-year-old Cara said she still hopes to compete again next year.

She said: “I felt I performed very well and didn't make any mistakes but the standard of all the performances was incredibly high as they were all winners in their area.

“We weren’t given any feedback or scores, as it was more of a poetry festival and a time for like-minded people to spend time together and share their love of poetry.

“Those poems will be in our memory for life and that is a precious prize in itself.”