Over the past five years, the education attainment gap has widened. By the end of secondary school, pupils facing disadvantage are over 19 months behind their peers. Surveys also show a steep decline in reading and writing for pleasure, with writing enjoyment having almost halved over the last 15 years. Language skills are essential for full participation in society; young people who lack fluent, confident speaking, reading, and writing are effectively disenfranchised.

First Story's sustained, high-quality writing workshops place professional Writers-in-Residence in low-income schools. Publishing a professionally printed anthology (which sits in the British Library) and offering performance opportunities significantly boosts students' confidence, motivation, and transferable skills in communication, while improving their wellbeing and resilience. By helping students become published authors, we can also change their perception of themselves.