Informal Letters Workshop

Overview

In this 60-minute session, Year 4 pupils will explore the structure and purpose of informal letters. They will write from the perspective of a refugee child, developing empathy along with writing skills aligned to the National Curriculum for England. This is lesson 10 in the "Journeys of Refugees" unit.

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National Curriculum Links

English - Writing (Year 4)

• Pupils should be taught to:
  • Consider what they are going to write before starting by planning or saying out loud what they are going to write about.
  • Draft and write by organising paragraphs around a theme.
  • Evaluate and edit by assessing the effectiveness of their own and others’ writing and suggesting improvements.
  • Use the correct structure of informal letters, including appropriate openings, closings, and language.
  • Understand the purpose/audience when writing to communicate effectively.

Spoken Language

• Participate in discussions, presentations, performances, role play, improvisations, and debates
• Consider and evaluate different viewpoints, including their own.

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Learning Objectives

By the end of the lesson, pupils will be able to:

• Identify and explain the key features of an informal letter.
• Understand how the purpose and audience shape the style of writing.
• Write an informal letter from the perspective of a refugee child, using appropriate tone, vocabulary, and structure.

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Resources

• Whiteboard and markers
• Example informal letters (printed)
• Writing paper and pencils
• Template for informal letter structure (heading, greeting, body, closing)
• Post-it notes
• Empathy prompt cards (“How might a refugee child feel?”, “What would they want to say to a friend?”)
• A timer

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity (10 minutes)

Purpose: Activate prior knowledge and introduce informal letters.

• Begin with a brief discussion: "What kind of letters have you written or received?"
• Display two letter excerpts on the board — one formal, one informal.
• In pairs, pupils use post-it notes to list differences they notice.
• Whole-class feedback and create a collective list of informal letter features (e.g., greeting, casual language, personal tone).

2. Exploration & Modelling (15 minutes)

Purpose: Deepen understanding of informal letter components and context.

• Present a sample informal letter written by a refugee child to a friend (read aloud).
• Highlight the structure:
  • Heading (place and date)
  • Greeting (Hi/Hello + name)
  • Introduction (reason for writing)
  • Body (description of experiences and feelings)
  • Closing (goodbye + signature)
• Discuss the purpose and audience: Why is this letter informal? Who is the writer? What do they want their friend to understand?
• Use empathy prompt cards to facilitate discussion on emotional tone and content.

3. Guided Writing Activity (20 minutes)

Purpose: Support pupils to write their letters with scaffolded help.

• Distribute informal letter templates.
• Instruct pupils to imagine they are refugee children writing to a friend in their home country.
• Display a word bank with emotive and descriptive words relevant to a refugee’s experiences.
• Pupils write their letters independently but can refer to the template and word bank.
• Teacher circulates to provide targeted support, encouraging correct letter structure and expressive vocabulary.

4. Peer Review & Improvement (10 minutes)

Purpose: Develop editing and evaluative skills.

• Pupils exchange letters with a partner.
• Using a simple checklist (features of an informal letter, tone, clarity), partners give positive feedback and one suggestion for improvement.
• Volunteers read their letter aloud to the class if comfortable.

5. Plenary (5 minutes)

Purpose: Reflect on learning and consolidate understanding.

• Quick-fire round: pupils share one key feature of informal letters they learned.
• Discuss how writing from a refugee child’s perspective helped them understand journeys of refugees better.

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Assessment for Learning

• Formative assessment through observation during discussions and writing.
• Use of peer feedback to reinforce self-editing skills.
• Teacher notes on pupils’ letter structure and empathy in writing will inform next lessons.

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Differentiation

• Support: Provide sentence starters for pupils who need help beginning their letters.
• Challenge: Encourage more able pupils to include reflections on feelings and hopes for the future or questions they might ask their friend.
• EAL learners: Use visuals and word banks; pair with stronger peers during discussions.

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Extension Ideas

• Create a “Postbox” in the classroom for pupils to “send” letters to each other and reply as different characters from the unit.
• Use drama to role-play letter reading and responses, deepening understanding of voice and audience.

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Teacher Reflection

• Did pupils demonstrate understanding of informal letter format?
• Were pupils able to write empathetically from a refugee child’s perspective?
• How effective were the peer review and discussion activities in enhancing learning?

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This lesson balances curriculum objectives with creative empathy-building, making writing purposeful and accessible to Year 4 pupils, developing both literacy and social understanding.