(for years 4-6)
Course dates: (4 days)
28th – 31st October 2024 (half-term) – FULL
4th – 7th August 2025
Now taking bookings
Is the course suitable for your child?
This course has been designed for students who are working towards improving their ability to write fluently and creatively, particularly in timed examination situations such as those sometimes faced in 11+ examinations. The course and booklet are also suitable for students who are not taking external examinations, but who wish to improve their writing skills to boost achievement at school and for those who want to improve their writing purely for the love of it.
Overview
The course is carefully structured to ensure your child learns the important skills needed to significantly improve their writing in a short space of time. It focuses heavily on the need to plan and prepare properly in order to achieve a plausible story or description. The course includes instruction and practice, and ways to avoid the most common errors.
We provide one simple structure that we teach and practise through the planning and writing of at least four stories throughout the course. Rather than teach several structures, we stick to this structure so that the children have the opportunity to rehearse and repeat for consolidation. Other, more complex, structures may be taught on future courses for those children who have mastered this initial approach.
We cover how to start a story well; how to develop tension in the middle of a story and how to end well. We also expand vocabulary and emphasise the importance of developing a good vocabulary with which to express our ideas. We include aspects of grammar, spelling and punctuation and devote some sessions entirely to descriptive writing, not necessarily in a story context, exploring figurative language and complex sentence constructions that can provide variation to the way we phrase our ideas.
Why we think creative writing is so important?
- Writing coherently is a fundamental life skill.
- Creative writing is an important part of a child’s emotional development – the ability to express themselves clearly in writing – their feelings, emotions, understanding of their world and to develop their imagination are all good for emotional and mental health and well-being.
- Confident and accomplished writers will also achieve more highly in other areas of the curriculum where essays are required to evidence knowledge and understanding eg: history, geography, RE …
- Many selective schools examine creative writing skills as part of the 10+, 11+ and Common Entrance admission process.
- It’s fun and children love it (when it’s taught well)!
Course topics
Writing techniques
- Planning a story
- Writing to a picture stimulus
- How to approach ‘Continue the story’ tasks
- Planning for a descriptive task
- The difference between story-writing and descriptive writing
- Using the plan to inform and define paragraphing
- Descriptive and figurative techniques
- Vocabulary development
- Varying sentence constructions and starters
- Story starters – how to start with an impact
- How to create and build tension
- Story Endings – how to finish well
- Discrepancies, common errors and how to avoid them
- The importance of proofreading
- Addressing the mark scheme
Grammar, spelling and punctuation
- Some common grammar weaknesses are explained and revised as well as any particular issues that arise out of our writing during the week
- National Curriculum Statutory Spelling Lists are referenced as well as any particular issues that arise out of our writing during the week
- Basic and/or more complex punctuation are covered depending on current strengths and weaknesses of participants
What to expect from our creative writing course
Before the course – meeting your child’s needs
When you complete the booking form, we ask you to tell us about your child’s strengths and weaknesses in English, any mobility, health or educational needs and any tests he or she will be taking.
Your child will be asked to complete a pre-course assessment writing task so that our teachers have a starting point for the course and can address particular weaknesses and areas for development of students attending the course.
Results and detailed feedback are provided before the start of the course.
During the course – teaching and learning, revision, exam technique and mock exam
Our experienced, qualified teachers will use a range of teaching approaches (didactic, interactive, games etc in both collaborative and independent activities) to engage, motivate, instruct and guide your child through the writing process. The groups are small, so that everyone has the opportunity for personalised attention and feedback. During independent work, the tutor will give individual support. Children receive detailed feedback so that they can build further after every piece they write on the course.
We teach writing, language skills and exam technique. Tutors describe and explain how best to tackle a task to help the children gain full marks in the exam.
During the last day of the course, there will be a formal mock exam. This will be taken under exam conditions. After the exam, the tutor will highlight key areas of merit and targets for improvement so the children can consolidate their learning, learn from their mistakes and continue to build on the skills they have learnt using our course booklet long after the course has ended.
After the course – feedback
The mock exam will be marked and either posted or emailed to you with a written report the week after the course. If the tutor suggests that your child needs to do extra work in a particular area, we will offer as much help as possible. If you feel a one-to-one session would help to complete your child’s preparation for the exam, we will be happy to arrange this.
Group size
Teaching groups will be kept small, with approximately twelve children. This allows time for each child to receive individual support when needed. In addition to the course tutor there may be a second tutor to provide additional support if deemed necessary.
Course tutors
All our tutors have been carefully selected, vetted and have extensive 11-plus experience. They have excellent references and were also chosen for their caring nature, friendly personalities and enthusiastic teaching style to help encourage and motivate each student.
Course sessions
The total study time is 19 hours. Each course runs over four days and is arranged as follows:
| Session | Time |
|---|---|
| 1 | 9.15 - 10.30 |
| Break | |
| 2 | 10.45 - 12.00 |
| Lunch | |
| 3 | 1.00 - 2.15 |
| Break | |
| 4 | 2.30 - 3.30 |
Course venue
Ripley Arts Centre, Bromley Arts Council, 24 Sundridge Avenue, Bromley. BR1 2PX. For full details click venue .
Break periods and lunch
Soft drinks and biscuits will be provided free of charge during break periods. Children must bring a packed lunch.
Course fees
The 4-day Creative writing course = £480
Payment method
- We accept payment by bank transfer, credit card, debit card and Paypal™. We do not accept payment by cheque. Please contact us if you have any questions about payment
- Deposits are only accepted if you pay by bank transfer. If you are paying by credit card, debit card or Paypal™, payments must be made in full at the time of booking
Payment policy
- A deposit of £280 must be paid to hold a place if you are not paying in full at the time of booking
- Unless a course becomes unavailable, deposits are non-refundable
- The balance of a course must be paid 6 weeks before the start of the course
- On request, fees can be paid in instalments
Now taking bookings
Please phone or Contact us to check availability before completing the Booking form.
What some parents have to say…
Bayan Hutchinson, Creative writing course. 2021
Dear Maria, Just wanted to thank you for organizing such a brilliant creative writing course! My son always struggled with writing and I couldn’t quite understand why. Danel is a good reader and it puzzled me for years why he is unable to convert his ideas into writing. The planning of the story was an impossible task and he would jump from one idea to another and then end up with something that doesn’t make any sense. So we struggled…. a lot!! and we had lots of tears and arguments and despair when it came to writing…. But then we enrolled on your course and after a couple of days Danel produced a most amazing piece! Debbie and her team were fantastic! Debbie managed to unlock that something in my son no other teachers were able to do! Danel is now being praised by his teaches at school and it’s just great! His confidence is growing and we are all so proud of him! I only wish that we met you two years earlier, it would have saved us lots of stress and tears! lol. Huge thanks to you and your team and a special thanks to Debbie for all her help and guidance! Please let me know what other courses you are planning for 11+ Preps – would love to take up classes for non-verbal reasoning and comprehension. Warm regards, Bayan Hutchinson.
Mrs Anastasia Paganou, Creative writing course. 2021
My daughter definitely enjoyed the creative writing course! She liked attending the lessons each day and she always came back home with so much enthusiasm! This course has helped her to develop her editing skills and to expand her vocabulary. Also, she learnt some very useful and good planning techniques, some great story starters and endings and she has fully understood what creating tension is in writing. The teachers were amazing! I thank them all! I totally recommend the creative writing course to all students!
Amy Pullen, Creative writing course. 2020
Thanks so much for fitting my daughter into the creative writing course, she really enjoyed it and it has really boosted her confidence. Poppy passed her entrance exam for Bromley High. Poppy really felt that it was her creative writing that got her over the line. So thank you so much again. Some good news in a very difficult time.
Darina Barnes, Creative writing course. 2019
Joel enjoyed Creative Writing course a lot. It inspired him to read more books in different genres and better understand writers’ technique, not even mentioning how much this course helped him for his English and Verbal Reasoning tests. I signed him up for this course not only for 11+ exams, which he successfully passed, but also because the ability to express your thoughts in writing is essential part of our life. Joel said that it also was lots of fun, not just informative and useful.
Nina Ghatore, Creative writing course. 2019
Hi Maria, I Would like to mention that Harveer enjoyed the creative writing course and progressed exceptionally well. His writing strategy, sentence construction and use of vocabulary has improved significantly, as Sara taught him well, in a short space of time. My son was really pleased he got the prize for the best writing plan and since the course has been a lot more enthusiastic about writing. I would highly recommend this course. Kind regards, Nina
Jason Gowlett, Creative writing course. 2019
My daughter attended the creative writing course in Aug 2019. Not only did she love the course and content, she found the teacher fun, engaging and supportive. Above all though she grew in confidence at writing and trusting her imagination. And it delivered results… As she passed all three 11 plus’s she sat. Really pleased with the whole process and teacher input… Recommended!
What some of our students have to say…
Alex, August. 2024
This course is really fun and helps you to improve your creative writing. It helped me to improve my planning , write longer sentences and also helped me with my punctuation. The course helps you make a great structure for stories. The thing I liked most about the course was the learning and the feedback. To make the course better you could add an extra day and have writing games.
Liyana, August. 2024
I loved how the teachers give you such good feedback one to one, and the handmade course book was amazing. With such great staff I’ve found the course really helpful and my improvement from start to end is unbelievable. Vocab, grammar, spelling and more. The breaks are just as fun! They include refreshments, games, equipment and biscuits! It was spectacular, splendid, superb – this course was too amazing. I enjoy writing more now my vocab is upgraded so it flows much better. When coming here don’t be nervous as the teachers are so welcoming.
William, August. 2024
The things I liked most about the course was the lovely feedback I got from my teachers and peers. It really helped me improve my writing. I learnt lots of new vocabulary, punctuation, spelling, too much to write down. This course is down right amazing.
Jesse, August. 2024
In the course we have learnt about story starters and how to end a story. We have also learnt how to plan out a story better and how to edit your work properly. Now I feel like I always know what to write next.
Sam, August. 2023
The teachers were extremely supportive – they were patient and could help you when needed. The ‘Humpty Dumpty’ format was very helpful in creating a good and quick short story. The work on endings, which I needed, was very well taught and clear. A 5 out of 5 from me!
Esme, August. 2023
The course is amazing. The mock exam is very helpful because you can show all the skills you have learnt. The thing I found most tricky was story endings but I do feel a lot more confident now because I got a boost. I also enjoyed using the course booklet because it helps remind you of different things like dialogue, vocab and much more. Thank you to all the teachers!
Eesa, August. 2023
I liked the group work and that teachers helped me work in the best way possible. The teachers were also very nice and gave us the right amount of home work. It helped me with some areas but I still need help with time pressure.
Davina, August. 2023
I would describe this course and fun, and I think the Humpty Dumpty planning is really helpful and easy to understand and use. On the course you can revise and learn. The teachers are friendly and funny.
Aristide, August. 2023
I loved the course! I liked playtime and all the games. The teachers are really nice to everyone and it was really helpful to me because they helped me with my weaker areas. The mock exams were helpful and boost you in exams. The course was better than expected because I thought we would do punctuation exercises the whole course.
G.I. August 2023
I think this is an extremely good course. The teachers here are very supportive, and try to make the the work as fun as they can. We learn lots and you get a huge advantage after the course. The mock exam seems stressful when you first hear about it, but it actually isn’t and is very helpful. What I have been trying to tell you is that it is the best course ever!
Lottie, October. 2022
This course has been amazing. I love how all the staff make it fun and exciting. The paragraph structures have been helpful, sensational sentences have been helpful and everything has improved my writing. I really appreciate the dedication teachers put in. I enjoyed everything but what I liked most was how kind the teachers are and how they help us improve as much as they can. The course has taught me how to improve. There is nothing I can think of to improve this course.
Seren, October. 2022
The creative writing course was fun and enjoyable. Debbie helped me with how to start a sentence and Jane helped me with more sentence starters like the adjective triplet starter. I enjoy creative writing a lot more than I used to because we write different stories everyday.
Jacob, October. 2022
I enjoyed everything, there’s not one thing I can pick out. Comparing the pre-course assessment to what I’m doing now I think I think my writing abilities have changed a lot. I can now plan properly and structure my stories better. I’ve learnt about what sentence starters there are and how to use them. The course has also increased my vocabulary by a lot. I enjoy creative writing more now because I understand more of the techniques to write a good story.
Isabella, October. 2022
I enjoyed how friendly the teachers are and how they explain everything so clearly. My favourite part was learning figurative language because I didn’t know what hyperbole was. I enjoy creative writing more now because I know a structure I can reply on so I don’t have to worry. Using verbal feedback helped me the most, because I could remember it more easily. The course was much better than I thought. The break times are just right in my opinion, they are balanced and there is both learning and rest. Everything is brilliant, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Tanya, August. 2022
I loved writing stories and I loved Debbie’s and Grace’s lessons. I’m better at writing stories because I use better vocabulary. I have learnt about the tension ladder and the triple adjective starter. I also enjoyed the playtimes and all of the teachers and all of the kids are very nice. The teachers always help and I will definitely come back again. The course is so good, nothing needs changing.
Martha, August. 2022
You have helped me with vocabulary and phrases and for once I am starting to like English. My course teacher Jane is very nice and has given me the courage to finish my writing. I also really enjoyed making new friends.
Clem, August. 2022
I enjoyed everything but mostly writing stories. I have improved my writing skills and I now understand the rules of writing. “The steep mountain was covered in a verdant pasture where vast lush trees grew. On a canopy of mighty oaks a black crow was perched”.
Amara, August. 2022
The thing I enjoyed most about the course was how they teach in a fun way like writing a story everyday and sharing it. My descriptive writing is a lot better and I get a lot of ideas that just pop into my head. I now know how to structure my writing and write a really good plan. You do a lot of writing but it’s 100% worth it. I have learnt a lot and I feel more confident. To make the course even better I think on the first day we could write a story together as a group.
Edgar, August. 2022
You have helped me use more tension and descriptive writing in my stories. Since starting the course my writing has noticeably improved and I enjoy it more. The teachers are really inspiring. I enjoyed the advice and writing tips that Debbie, Jane and Grace have shared.
Benjamin, October. 2021
I liked how the lessons were so engaging and interesting. They helped me improve my creative writing skills by teaching me the Humpty Dumpty story structure, good story starters and good story endings. They also taught me it’s good to make a link to the beginning of the story when you end. I have enjoyed all of the stories I have written and would like to write some more. The course was fun, useful and we had juice and biscuits that were delicious.
Liya, October. 2021
I enjoyed learning about tension the most because before I came to this course I didn’t know anything about it. The teachers helped by showing me how different things work and new vocabulary. I really liked this course and thank everybody for helping me. 🙂
Nickil, October. 2021
Well Debbie and Henry have given me a lot of new things I have never learnt before, so from that I have definitely improved. Also, I never actually knew how to plan properly, and the tension ladders and all the other things have helped me. I enjoy creative writing a lot more than before because they made it fun. I would say it is the best place where you have to work ever. I absolutely loved it! I enjoyed the games because Henry and Cory made it so much fun.
Danel, October. 2021
I enjoyed story writing the most as it let’s you embrace your creativity. The course has helped me structure my stories, improve my imagination and also helped me describe objects in greater detail.
Miriam, August. 2021
I liked the Humpty Dumpty story plan the most because it was interesting. I learnt how to use better story starters and sentence starters. I also learnt how to describe things better using the 5 senses. I like creative writing more now I can actually do it better.
Rhys, Juky. 2021
Well first of all they taught me oxymoron and juxtaposition. I also got help to make a pathetic fallacy: The tree cried tears of leaves. The teachers were kind and helpful and I also enjoyed the biscuits.
Taneesha, July. 2021
I enjoy creative writing more now because I understand exactly what I’m doing. The course helped me plan my stories so I can now write amazing and thrilling stories. I also have a better vocabulary.
Rafael, July. 2021
I enjoyed being taught new things as everything was interesting. The course helped me by extending my knowledge of vocabulary and teaching me things I didn’t know like tenses, dialogue, oxymoron, pathetic fallacy, juxtaposition, hyperbole and structure. There is nothing to improve on. The course is amazing.
Keeping a safe distance
Sophie, October. 2020
I really enjoyed the experience of coming here and having lovely friends and teachers. You have improved my creative writing by giving me many great ideas and great methods. I enjoy creative writing more now because I have more ideas and am inspired. I learnt so much and had a lot of fun!
Luke, October. 2020
I would encourage my friend to come to this courses because it helps your writing a lot and it’s fun. I have learnt how to structure a story plan more effectively and drop clues to the reader. I have also learnt how to make cliff hangers and add suspense. I have also learnt how to proofread.
Lola, October. 2020
The teachers are helpful and I loved descriptive writing. We did so much and I learnt so much! Before the course I never thought to plan before I write but they taught me that I can use a special method to easily plan and make my stories much better to do well in my upcoming exams! THANK YOU! Knowing I am better at writing I feel proud whenever I complete a story or piece of writing. Joining Progress Tutors was the best part of my 11+ experience!
Daniel, October. 2020
I learnt how to use a 4-point plan and how to use metaphors properly and how to proofread better. It’s fun and you become more confident.
Imogen, August. 2020
The course helped me improve my grammar, punctuation, character descriptions, descriptive writing and literary devices. I wasn’t great at all in these things before but now I am way better. I really liked doing grammar because it was explained properly and I learnt about it in different ways. I enjoy writing much more now because it makes me see it in a more fun way.
Edward, August. 2020
The thing I like most about this course is the sense of acceptance because no matter how good you are you always feel welcome and accepted. The course has helped me improve by teaching me how to plan, how to spell and how to make my writing seem interesting. There has not been a thing taught here which did not help me. I enjoy writing more now as I feel more comfortable with it.
Sofia, August. 2020
You may think the course will be like school but it’s better. It has helped me plan stories and has built up my confidence in my work and myself.
Joshua, August. 2020
I enjoy creative writing more now because I have had so much fun while writing and never knew how much fun it was. I enjoyed descriptive writing most because you get to make your own stories from your imagination. I have improved a lot and I would recommend anyone to come here.
Children were asked to tell us one important thing they learnt on the course.
Mila, October. 2019
They have helped me plan my stories better by drawing and planning in 7 stages. They have also helped me to make sure my stories make sense and don’t include random things. I really enjoyed the course.
Luke, October. 2019
I loved every minute of the course and recommend it very much. It is so much fun and it helped me improve and I now feel more confident in my writing. I enjoyed planning funny stories and linking them back to the beginning. I enjoy writing way more now because before I was making it difficult for myself. You should definitely come, it is so good and you improve by a million.
Falisha, October. 2019
Before I started this course I didn’t think that I could write as nicely as now. It’s helped me develop my writing more. I enjoyed the newspaper article the most as I learnt how to describe a newspaper. All the people are very nice here. I’ve had a wonderful time and would definitely recommend this place to others. You couldn’t make it better!
Aaron, October. 2019
The course was fabulous because I learnt about 100 things. In addition to this the teacher was very nice. I enjoy writing more now because it made creative writing fun.
Saira, August. 2019
At the creative writing course, I really enjoyed learning new devices such as paradox and hyperbole. These really helped me in my writing. My stories have improved as I now use advanced vocabulary and they make sense. I now enjoy creative more than I used to as I now know how to start a story that can attract the reader. I would tell my friends that they should definitely go to this course as it really helps you with your writing. You could improve this course by having an extra test on the first day and by having an extra day to do more revising.
Joel, August. 2019
I enjoyed story time because all the stories were interesting. At first, I couldn’t do writing but now I can do amazing writing!
Christian, August. 2019
I enjoyed being able to write a story because I never normally stick to it. They told me a way of planning because I could never plan so this really helped. I now enjoy creative writing more because I finally know what to write. It was fun and others should definitely come. It was excellent!
Ava, August. 2019
At the start of the week I was terrified to do creative writing. Through the week, I have made friends and become extremely more confident. Everybody is nice and kind here. It was so much fun. I especially like the homework when you plan it together and write it in your own genre. Story time is when Sara tells us a story when nobody knows the story. Also, playtime is the best!
Zain, August. 2019
I enjoyed learning about how to describe things and making new friends. This week has been really fun, I have improved my vocabulary and know how to describe images and also how to write stories. It has been really fun and I want to do it again. At first, I found creative writing boring but now I find it really interesting. I would tell my friends that it’s fun and you learn. Don’t change anything, I like everything as it is!
Casper, August. 2019
I enjoyed doing the homework the most as I could write freely and I could express myself. My stories didn’t make sense before the course and now they do. My Vocabulary improved a lot after the course. I enjoy creative writing more now as I can write better stories. It is really fun and boosts your confidence in creative writing.
Clara, October. 2018
I really liked the course because when I first came I had convinced myself I couldn’t write but now I’m happy to share my stories and ideas. I have also learnt how to plan effectively and now my stories actually make sense. I enjoy writing way more because I have a lot more confidence. I also enjoyed how I made friends really quickly: it made it easier to read out my stories. The course is brilliant!
Sereana, October. 2018
I enjoy creative writing more because I now know how to write better. I know how to plan sentences and how to use proper devices. The course is really fun.
Robert, October. 2018
I improved in descriptive writing and I improved by not bringing in random subjects. Go! It’s fun and exciting!
Bella, October. 2018
I enjoyed everything and writing my stories. I learnt how to ‘pair my socks’ (match up ideas and link points) and to use amazing vocabulary, grammar, and punctuation like semicolons – dashes – and a lot more things. Also I never knew you could plan by drawing. I enjoy writing more because I’m not as self conscious about my writing as much because I learnt lots! It’s fun, you get biscuits, get to have your shoes off and it is learning in a fun way.
Oliver, October. 2018
I enjoyed the sheets most because they had activities. Also you can plan by drawing and doing lots of sagas. I also improved by learning how to spell, and what there and their and where and were mean. My handwriting has improved a bit.
Zachary, October. 2018
I improved on my creative writing and descriptions. When we did this, I learnt how to use devices and atmosphere. I also learnt how to plan with pictures. I enjoy writing here more than in school because it’s interactive.
