Creative writing isn't a side topic at English Matters — it's where everything comes together. Vocabulary, structure, Grammar, and presentation all meet on the page, and this is where the difference really shows, whether the target school sets a multiple-choice paper or a full written exam.
The single most common struggle we hear about from parents isn't vocabulary, or Grammar, or even handwriting — it's that the moment a child sees a prompt, they freeze. They stare at the page, unsure what to write, and often end up going off-track or producing very little.
This isn't a writing problem — it's a thinking problem. The child doesn't yet have a reliable way to turn a prompt into content. So that's where we start.
Every great piece of writing rests on these four pillars. Whatever the prompt — a picture, a title, an opening line — a child who knows how to ask these four questions will always have somewhere to start, and something to say.
Once this becomes second nature, something shifts. Children stop staring at blank pages. In fact, the more common challenge becomes the opposite — knowing when and how to stop, because they now have so much to write.
Good creative writing isn't one skill — it's several, working together. Each session builds these in combination, not in isolation.
Even at schools using online pre-tests, the written stages — where most of the creative writing happens — are done by hand, under time pressure.
An examiner working through a stack of papers will naturally find clear, well-presented work easier to engage with — and presentation is often part of what's being assessed.
Many children can write neatly when they have time, or quickly when they don't worry about neatness — but exams demand both at once. This is a skill that needs practice.
GCSEs and many school assessments remain handwritten. Building good habits now sets children up well beyond the entrance exam itself.
"True teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross; then, having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create their own."
A selection of writing from students, showing the kind of vocabulary, structure and style we work towards together.
Lovely use of atmosphere here — labyrinthine and shrouded aren't just dropped in, they're doing real work, building tension through sound and texture. Notice too how the sentence structure varies in length, which helps control pacing. One word to reconsider, though: mellifluous means sweetly musical, like honey — which sits oddly against a creaking door. It's a beautiful word, but ambitious vocabulary only works when it truly matches the meaning. Choosing the word that fits is always stronger than choosing the word that impresses.
A strong opening — it sets the scene and tells us something about Maya's character in just a few lines. The contrast in the final sentence ("small, and resolute") is a great technique to carry forward into longer pieces.
Get in touch to find out more about how creative writing fits into our online group sessions.