Keystone Tutors are excited to announce our Creative Writing Competition is back for summer 2026 — and this year we're running two competitions, so there's an opportunity for every age group to take part.
- Junior Competition — for writers aged 5–13 (Years 1–8)
- Senior Competition — for writers aged 14–18 (Years 9–13)
Whether your child is just beginning their writing journey or already a confident storyteller, this is a brilliant opportunity to build imagination, sharpen writing skills, and gain creative confidence over the summer.
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Junior Competition (Ages 5–13)
Why Enter our Creative Writing Competition?
Our Creative Writing Competition is designed to:
- Inspire imagination and creativity
- Provide valuable practice for the creative writing part of the 7+, 8+ and 11+ school entrance exams
- Develop key skills in story planning, vocabulary and expression
- Offer great material for discussion at school interviews
This year's theme is "Mystery", and children can write any story they like on this topic or choose from one of the suggested titles below:
- The Secret
- The Mysterious Sound
- The Storm
Competition Rules
- Writing must be original and not have been submitted to any other writing competition.
- The story must be written in English prose in response to one of the set themes.
- Entrants may write on their own or with one other person, who must also be within the age limits required by the competition.
- Stories will be judged on creativity, enjoyment, structure, eloquence, and SPaG.
- The use of AI is forbidden at any stage of the process. All entries will be thoroughly screened for the influence of AI and any story found to have been completed with AI will be disqualified.
Competition Details
- Who can enter? Children aged 5–13 (Years 1–8)
- Word limit:
- Years 1–3: Up to 500 words
- Years 4–8: Up to 800 words
- Format: Entries can be typed or handwritten. Email a typed Word document or a clear photo of a handwritten story.
- Submit to: enquiries@keystonetutors.com
- Deadline: Monday, 31 August at 12:00 noon BST (Results will be published by Wednesday, 30 September)
Prizes
- Winner: £100 Waterstone's voucher and a one-to-one Creative Writing Masterclass with a Keystone tutor.
- Runner-up: One-to-one Creative Writing Masterclass with a Keystone tutor.
- Every entry will receive brief tailored feedback from a Keystone tutor.
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Senior Competition (Ages 14–18)
Why Enter our Creative Writing Competition?
Our Senior Creative Writing Competition is a chance for older students to:
- Sharpen narrative voice, structure and style
- Build a strong, original piece of writing for school applications, portfolios or simply for the love of it
- Receive personalised, tailored feedback from a Keystone tutor
This year's theme is "Other Worlds". Participants may interpret this theme however they wish, or choose one of the suggested titles below:
- A Planet Quite Unlike Our Own
- The Invisible Society
- A Place for Sorcery
- The Strangelands
Competition Rules
- Writing must be original and not have been submitted to any other writing competition.
- The story must be written in English prose in response to the set theme.
- Entries must be solely the work of the participant.
- Stories will be judged on their creativity, narrative voice and ability to entertain, as well as their structure, eloquence, and SPaG.
- The use of AI is forbidden at any stage of the process. All entries will be thoroughly screened for the influence of AI and any story found to have been completed with AI will be disqualified.
Competition Details
- Who can enter? Students aged 14–18 (Years 9–13)
- Word limit: Up to 1,500 words
- Format: Entries can be typed or handwritten. Email a typed Word document or a clear photo of a handwritten story.
- Submit to: enquiries@keystonetutors.com
- Deadline: Friday, 30 October at 12:00 noon (Results will be published by Friday, 27 November)
Prizes
- Winner: £100 Waterstone's voucher and a one-to-one Creative Writing Masterclass with a Keystone tutor.
- Runner-up: One-to-one Creative Writing Masterclass with a Keystone tutor.
- Every entry will receive brief tailored feedback from a Keystone tutor.