Lyra Cummings, a Year 6 student at our school,  wrote ‘The Queen’s Jubilee Story: Through the Eyes of a Corgi’, relating the adventures of one of the Queen’s pampered pets as it raided the royal kitchens.

Her story was chosen as the junior winner of a competition involving all 11 schools in the West Norfolk Academies Trust.

“I was very surprised and excited when I heard that I’d won,” said Lyra. “People said they were really proud of me and that they thought the story was really good. I think the Queen would like it too, as I know she likes corgis.”

The senior winner of the competition came from Springwood High School and the story wondered 

what if the woman celebrating 70 years on the throne isn’t really the Queen at all? 

Daisy Stapleton, who is in Year 7 at the high school, won the senior category with her entry ‘The Mix Up’, which suggested that the monarch may not be what she seems, the true Queen having been kidnapped as a baby and replaced with an imposter.

“I thought of the idea, because the Queen is a very valuable person in Britain and I thought it would be a crazy thing that could never happen,” explained Daisy, who said she would like to be scriptwriter and film director one day. “I loved doing the competition, and it was amazing to have the opportunity to write about the Queen for her Jubilee. I think she’d be a little bit confused about my story if she read it, but I think she’d enjoy it!”

Daisy’s win is particularly impressive, considering that she is dyslexic. “I was very shocked when I found out that I’d won,” she said, “as I’m dyslexic and have really struggled with writing. I’ve had lots of help though, and to win a writing competition is amazing. Everyone’s loved the story and given me lots of compliments.”

The winners were chosen by Lady Dannatt, HM Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk and the Queen’s representative, from 25 entries that were received from students across our trust’s primary and secondary schools.

Budding writers were asked to create a story of no more than 500 words on a choice of Jubilee-related themes, as part of the celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee that took part last month.

Daisy and Lyra were each awarded a commemorative Platinum Jubilee Coin.