Robert Burns Schools Competitions 2007-2008

The Robert Burns World Federation has organised a range of national and school-based competitions suitable for pupils in primary, secondary and special schools.

As well as three nationally judged events, the Federation has put together a range of other artistic and creative competitions to be organised within educational establishments, with specially produced certificates for schools to award to their winners. Last year, 130,000 Scottish pupils took part in these events.

The Federation will also hold national festivals in recitation, singing, instrumental music and bagpiping, with district competitions in early 2008 and national finals in April and May 2008, as well as a national choral competition in May for primary school choirs.

(The image is a detail from 'Burns in Edinburgh, 1787', a chromolithograph of a painting by Charles Martin Hardie © Dumfries and Galloway Museums Service. Licensed by www.scran.ac.uk)

National project competition

This competition is for Primary 6 and 7 pupils and encourages them to carry out and write up a piece of individual research. The theme for the research is 'Robert Burns' and schools should select no more than three pieces of work to enter.

Burns Federation Certificates of Merit will be awarded to the best individual entries, with a first prize of £50, a second prize of £30 and a third prize of £20. The school of the first prize-winner will also receive £25 and the primary school with the best set of entries overall will be awarded the Alex B McIver Rosebowl.

National art competition

This competition is open to pupils in primary, secondary and special schools with different prizes for the different categories.

Primary 6 and 7 pupils and pupils who attend special schools should produce a drawing or painting no larger than A4 size which is inspired by an incident from Scottish history or a Burns poem or song, or has the title 'My favourite animal from a Burns poem or song'.

Burns Federation Certificates of Merit will be awarded to the best individual entries from primary pupils, with a first prize of £50, a second prize of £30, and a third prize of £20. The school of the first prize-winner will also receive £25 and the Toshio Namba Trophy.

Pupils from special schools will receive Certificates, with £75 awarded as the first prize, £50 for the second place-winner, and the £25 for third place. The school of the first prize-winner will also receive £25 and the the Provost Coffey Quaich.

Secondary pupils should create an artwork, no larger than A3, with the subject of a scene, incident or character from a Burns poem or song.

Secondary pupils will be awarded £100, £75, and £50 respectively and Certificates of Merit, with the school of the first prize-winner also receiving £25 and the Yorkshire District Trophy.

National writing competition

This competition is for pupils in S1 and S2 and is run in partnership with the Association for Scottish Literary Studies.

Pupils should send in a short story of up to 600 words on any topic and written in any of the languages of Scotland, up to a total of six entries per school.

Every entrant will receive a certificate. The first prize is £100, with a second prize of £75 and a third prize of £50.

School-based competitions

There are seven other competitions which schools can organise internally and send off for official certificates produced by the Burns Federation to present to their winners.

It is likely that the winners from some of these contests will be the schools' entrants for the relevant national competitions.

Please use the leaflet to find out more details and to order your certificates.

PDF file: Robert Burns Schools Competitions 2007/2008 (562 KB)

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