Young City Poets (London)
A visit to an iconic London venue will inspire Young City Poets pupils to write poetry of their own.
Get involved
Young City Poets is aimed at reluctant writers in Years 5 to 9 from London state schools with over 22.5% of pupils receiving free school meals.
We are now recruiting for our 2025-2026 project. If you would like to sign up your school, please register your details through the expression of interest form below.
If you have any questions please email young.writers@literacytrust.org.uk.
To stay updated on our writing projects, explore our Young Writers pages and sign up to our newsletter.
About the programme
Young City Poets is a writing-for-enjoyment project which enables pupils to engage with literacy on their own terms in a way that also meets national curriculum requirements for writing. It offers pupils memorable experiences at cultural venues to help bring writing to life, lively guided discussions, collaborative and individual writing activities led by professional poets, and publishing and performing tasks.
Every school participating in Young City Poets is provided with support to use our three-pillar approach to writing to galvanise pupils’ engagement with poetry.
In our 2025-2026 project, schools will participate in cultural venue visits and poetry writing workshops in autumn 2025, with a celebratory poetry performance event in March 2026. Please register interest through the form below.
Complete the form to register your interest
Schools will receive
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Teacher briefing
Providing insights on our three-pillar approach to writing and how you can use it to inspire reluctant writers
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Memorable experience
A visit to a cultural venue in London will provide the spark for students' creative imagination
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Visit from a poet
A practising poet will work with the class on writing and performing original poetry
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Performance and publishing opportunities
Students will have chance to perform their poetry in front of a live audience, and to be published in an anthology
We ask that...
- You deliver two lessons with your class (lesson plans are provided)
- You nominate and ensure the inclusion of your students in the performance and publishing opportunities
- You and your students complete the post-project evaluation surveys
The programme in action
"A student came into YCP feeling indifferent towards the project and poetry itself. 'Poetry is boring, why am I here?' They then went on to go on the trip, play an active part in the visiting poet workshop, sent me work to edit and went on to perform at St Paul's with arguably the best poem of the group."
London Teacher
"The Young City Poets project provided our students with the remarkable experience of viewing the city of London through the lens of art."
London teacher
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