Write Here Write Now
Developing literacy skills, confidence and imagination
Write Here Write Now is a fully funded 2-year project which supports Year 3 children with building their confidence, self-esteem and imagination to help them achieve their full literacy potential. Through creative approaches we support local schools in raising literacy, language and communication skills for participants.
In the first year Polka practitioners work alongside teachers to establish the needs of each group to deliver a tailor-made programme of workshops throughout the Spring and Summer terms with ten Year 3 children in each school. We also deliver 3 full class workshops as part of ongoing teacher CPD. In the second year of the project, we map the progress of the children who took part with 2 further in-school workshops. To further strengthen relationships with the schools we offer free tickets to a Polka Theatre show for all children in Year 4.
Write Here Write Now aims to:
- Increase creative confidence
- Develop vocabulary and comprehension
- Stimulate creativity and imagination
- Promote creative collaboration and
- Encourage children to reflect creatively on their own experiences
- Encourage children to express ideas and opinions in their writing
- Inspire children to create their own stories
- Promote pleasure in reading and motivation to read
- Support teachers to use creative and practical approaches to enhance their literacy curriculum.
Participating Schools receive:
- £7250 worth of FREE creative literacy support for your pupils and teachers
- 20 x Creative workshops for selected Year 3 pupils throughout the Spring and Summer terms (including scrapbooks and printed resources for each participant).
- 2 x Creative workshops for ALL Year 3 pupils.
- A CPD training programme for all Year 3 teachers. One will be held at Polka and 3 will be held in school venues.
- A celebration event at Polka Theatre in July for participating pupils, their Year 3 classmates and parents and carers.
- 3 follow up workshops for participants as they move through Year 4 in the second year of the project.
- Free tickets for a Polka Theatre show for all Year 4 children during the second year of the project.
- The Write Here Write Now scheme of work and other online resources.
After taking part in Write Here Write Now:
- 90% of children were more creative and imaginative with their ideas.
- 93% of children showed improvements in their ability to communicate their ideas
- 88% of children showed increased confidence.
- 85% showed improved ability to structure a story or piece of written work.
- 88% increased their class participation, more often volunteering ideas, inputting in discussions and putting up their hand to answer questions.
2024/25 project figures
How to apply:
Applications for 2026 have now closed. Please check back to see when applications are open for 2027.
“The Polka practitioner was very experienced and delivered their sessions in a way that was child friendly, engaging and filled with excellent practical ideas that I will be able to use in my future sessions to support creative writing.”
Year 3 Teacher, Sherwood Primary School
“As an English subject lead, I thought the WHWN project provided valuable CPD for the teachers who were inspired to introduce the activities in their lessons. They became more confident in using drama, which meant a positive impact for the whole class.”
Assistant Headteacher for English & Reading Recovery, Malmsbury Primary School
“Most of the children selected were underachieving for a variety of issues, not least social and emotional and lower confidence and self-esteem. Their involvement in the Write Here Write Now project has impacted this and they are all more confident…The children were free from the pressure to write that the curriculum often places on them and, as a result, their writing improved. Thanks so much for the opportunity!”
Year 3 Teacher, Kings Oak Primary School
A special thank you to our supporters
Sabine Elkington
The Brann Family
The Garek Trust
Rowan Bentall Charitable Trust
With support from Walker Books, Scholastic, Methuen Drama and Macmillan Children’s Books.
