How the Young Writers Programme supports the Enrichment Framework and meets the Enrichment Benchmarks
The First Story Young Writers Programme delivers against all of the Government’s Enrichment Benchmarks, offering an accessible and engaging high quality offer that builds key literacy skills, fosters a sense of belonging, grows confidence and where the celebration of students’ own voice is central.
The Young Writers Programme is an Enrichment Programme that is:
1.Strategically aligned
Our Young Writers programme delivers positive change in engagement, attainment, wellbeing and confidence over 16-weeks of workshops with a dedicated writer-in-residence.
2. Broad and well-rounded
We can deliver our programme during school or after school. We only work with professional writers including novelists, playwrights, poets and spoken word performers. Check out our writers page [Link to our Writers page] to see some of those with whom we work.
3. Celebrates participation and achievement
Students work towards the publication of an anthology of their work. This is an ISBN-registered professional publication and students and the school are gifted copies (there is no extra charge). All participating students are awarded a certificate at the end of the programme. We support schools to hold a launch event for their anthologies with students and their families, as well as the wider school community.
4. Shaped by the school
Students who have completed the programme are encouraged to support future cohorts as Young Mentors. Sessions provide CPD for the lead teacher in how to support writing confidence and stamina.
5. Accessible and engaging
We work with individual schools to source an appropriate writer and agree outcomes for each individual residency. For some cohorts this may be an audio or visual zine rather than a printed anthology.
6. Works in partnership
Our offer includes creative writing immersion days hosted by higher education and cultural partners such as the University of Cambridge and the Lowry in Manchester.
7. Outcomes focused and
8. Continually improving
We produce individual impact reports at the end of the programme for each school that we work with.
