Write Here Write Now 2026 update

As we move into our seventh year and following months of discussions and shared thinking with our schools, pupils and artists, we have refreshed our Write Here Write Now creative writing intervention programme. We wanted to ensure the impact of the project was far reaching and really delivering what we wanted it to do – engaging children through drama activities to encourage creative confidence and build literacy skills.

The WHWN programme was developed in 2019 to increase children’s creative confidence, using drama to encourage them to express ideas and opinions and find ways to use this in their writing. Drama and creative arts activities have been shown to have a significant impact on children’s confidence and self-esteem, empowering them to communicate and collaborate. It can support a better understanding of narrative structure and provide context to extend vocabulary, in addition to enabling pupils to emotionally identify with characters and issues, providing children with a meaningful purpose for writing.

Using puppets to inspire original ideas and making a magical sandwich to exploring recipe writing and instructions

WHWN 2025 project data showed:

• 90% of children were more creative and imaginative with their ideas
• 88% of children had increased in confidence
• 93% of children had improved their ability to communicate their ideas
• 86% of children had improved their use of language and vocabulary

“…[the project has made] a huge impact on their confidence, creativity and self-expression and imagination! Now, even if asked to draw they will often choose to write instead. Their contribution has gone from a few sentences to full pages.”

Year 3 Teacher, St Anne’s Catholic Primary 2025 cohort

In addition, with the National Year of Reading 2026 around the corner, the WHWN programme also encourages pleasure in reading and a motivation to read, tackling the steep decline in reading among children, young people and adults. This year the programme has been generously supported by a number of book publishers including Hachette, Scholastic, Usbourne, Macmillan and Walker Books, and each child will receive a book at the start and end of the 6-month project.

This year our focus will not only be on the pupils specifically selected from each school to take part in the project, we will also be spending more time working with the full Year 3 classes to allow all children to experience some of the WHWN activities. Furthermore, we will be introducing additional CPD opportunities for all teachers and have created comprehensive resource packs, packed with drama games and story writing activities. Designed to help teachers incorporate creative techniques into their classrooms, these resources provide practical tips for integrating drama activities into everyday lessons to support creative writing. Our goal is to ensure that the impact of the WHWN project extends well beyond the Polka led workshops and becomes an integral part of classroom practice.

“It has made such a huge impact for all of our children and been eye opening for us as educators.”

Year 3 Teacher, Rowdown Primary 2025 cohort.

Thanks to our incredible funders, the schools receive the WHWN programme for free. We have received the highest ever number of applications for 2026 and are excited to announce that we will be working in the following schools across London from January:

• Barn Croft Primary School in Waltham Forest
• Fircroft Primary School in Wandsworth
• Good Shepherd Catholic Primary in Croydon
• Hillbrook Primary School in Wandsworth
• Holy Trinity CofE Primary School in Merton
• Regina Coeli Catholic Primary in Croydon
• Rushmore Primary School in Hackney
• St Luke’s CofE Primary School in Lambeth
• Stockwell Primary School in Lambeth
• The Sherwood School in Merton

We look forward to growing our relationship with the teachers, staff and students at our WHWN schools over the next year and working with them to inspire children not only to read and enjoy listening to stories but to create and write their own!

Pupils proudly showing their newspaper articles about a diamond robbery (written after acting out the scenario as a group)

“What I have noticed for the children with low creativity – they were trying to be adventurous in their writing. They have developed a bravery in writing and just willing to give it a try. It’s been such a pleasure to see them develop and create their own ideas using their fun and wild imaginations.”

Year 3 Teacher, Ronald Ross Primary 2025 cohort

Read more about Write Here Write Now here.

Write Here Write Now is supported by Sabine Elkington, The Garek Trust, The Brann Family, The Chartered Accountants’ Livery Charity and The Rowan Bentall Charitable Trust.