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Premier League Celebrates No Room For Racism Poetry Winner with MC Grammar and Highlights Free Classroom Resources
Michaela, a Year 6 student at St Chad’s Catholic Primary School, has been named the winner of the Premier League Primary Star’s national poetry-writing competition and was honoured on Friday with a special assembly and a visit from the Premier League Trophy in South London.
Michaela was first selected as Crystal Palace’s club winner before going on to win the overall competition. Her powerful poem stood out in the Premier League-wide initiative, centred on the theme ‘Greatness Comes From Everywhere’, which highlights the importance of education and the Premier League’s ongoing commitment to tackling discrimination.
To celebrate her achievement, Michaela was surprised with a visit from the Premier League Trophy and a special assembly co-hosted by rapper and educator MC Grammar, as part of the Premier League Primary Stars programme – which provides free, curriculum-linked resources to help teachers spark meaningful conversations about diversity, inclusion and wellbeing in the classroom.
Driving Education Through Football
The poetry-writing competition was supported by a new No Room For Racism (NRFR) education resource available through Premier League Primary Stars. This resource encourages pupils to explore themes of diversity and inclusion through creative writing, discussion prompts and real-life football stories.
Premier League Primary Stars offers teachers a collection of free resources designed to make these conversations impactful. Recent data shows that 9 in 10 teachers report a positive impact on pupils’ understanding of diversity and inclusion after using Premier League Primary Stars materials – a compelling reason for schools to integrate these resources into their lessons.
As part of Premier League’s, No Room For Racism initiative, teachers can access three powerful resources:
Racism and Inclusion – explore the impact of racism and how to tackle it through real-life football stories.
Stereotyping – help pupils recognise and challenge discrimination using relatable scenarios.
Allyship – teach the importance of standing up for others and being a supportive teammate.
Each resource includes short films featuring professional footballers, discussion prompts, and classroom activities. Teachers can also join the Empowering Discussions on Anti-Racism webinar for expert guidance on leading inclusive conversations.
Celebrating Young Voices
Clubs across the country submitted their winning poems to a judging panel featuring current and former players, broadcasters, journalists, writers, and representatives from the National Literacy Trust and Premier League Charitable Fund. Among the judges were Theo Walcott, Shola Ameobi, Wes Morgan, actor Ashley Walters, teacher and influencer Kit Brown, and award-winning educator and rapper MC Grammar.
Premier League Champion Wes Morgan, who sits on the Premier League’s Black Participants’ Advisory Group, said: “Reading the children’s poems has reminded me of the pride felt by so many across the country in our diversity – even at a young age. Celebrating that in football, and the positive impact that so many nationalities and ethnicities have on the Premier League, is hugely impactful.”
Michaela said on her achievement: “I feel very honoured to be able to win something as big as this. My teachers and my family inspired me to write the poem because they teach me that there's no room for anyone to be racist.”
Jenny Mooney, Deputy Head Teacher at St Chad’s Catholic Primary School, added: “I could not be prouder of Michaela. Her success in the Premier League’s No Room For Racism national poetry-writing competition is a reminder that when a young person speaks with honesty and courage, their voice can reach hearts far beyond the classroom.”
Learn More
Teachers can access these free resources and join the conversation at plprimarystars.com. Together, we can use the power of football to inspire learning and create a future free from discrimination.