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RESOURCES
Premium teaching resources and lesson plans
COMPETITIONS
Online entry forms for First Story competitions
FORMS & ADMIN
Essential paperwork that needs to be returned
GUIDANCE
Detailed processes and programme tips
free exercises and resources
Plot: Where to Begin?
What makes a story? Where should stories begin? This two-part exercise identifies narrative engines and helps students break from ‘cradle to grave’ storytelling to focus…
Finding gems
This fun writing task encourages creativity and develops confidence. The exercise helps find exciting new ideas and imagery through random juxtaposition. It uses play to…
I remember
This exercise encourages students to use memories as a source of inspiration and creative material. Topics: writing autobiography and memoir; describing emotions and feelings; valuing…
Autumn: observation and memory
Writing about a change in season is a great way of getting students to focus on evocative details. Combined with writing about a memory, it…
Cambridge Digital Library resource
A downloadable, nine-page resource, including icebreakers and exercises on the themes of cosmography and evolution, with stimulus pieces by Darwin and Tennyson. From the digital…
Looking back
This exercise uses an object as a prompt to begin writing about life experience and memories. Physical objects often help take us back to a…
Famous opening lines
A more advanced exercise about beginnings. This is for writers who already have a reasonable level of confidence, needing only the smallest of prompts to…
Alternative Valentine’s
A fun poetry writing game for beginners. This exercise highlights cliches — in this case writing about love and romance — and encourages students to…
Creating characters
This is a fun ice-breaker exercise to engage a group with writing fiction. It encourages students to develop a new fictional character through a focus…
Unusual vocabulary
This exercise develops descriptive writing skills and passion for language, through using made-up and portmanteau words. The exercise encourages individual responses and writing in any…
Tags and labels
This activity opens up a space for connection, even in difference. It encourages students to help point out the ways that we use tags, as…
Plot: Where to Begin?
What makes a story? Where should stories begin? This two-part exercise identifies narrative engines and helps students break from ‘cradle to grave’ storytelling to focus…
Finding gems
This fun writing task encourages creativity and develops confidence. The exercise helps find exciting new ideas and imagery through random juxtaposition. It uses play to…
I remember
This exercise encourages students to use memories as a source of inspiration and creative material. Topics: writing autobiography and memoir; describing emotions and feelings; valuing…
Autumn: observation and memory
Writing about a change in season is a great way of getting students to focus on evocative details. Combined with writing about a memory, it…
Cambridge Digital Library resource
A downloadable, nine-page resource, including icebreakers and exercises on the themes of cosmography and evolution, with stimulus pieces by Darwin and Tennyson. From the digital…
Looking back
This exercise uses an object as a prompt to begin writing about life experience and memories. Physical objects often help take us back to a…
Famous opening lines
A more advanced exercise about beginnings. This is for writers who already have a reasonable level of confidence, needing only the smallest of prompts to…
Alternative Valentine’s
A fun poetry writing game for beginners. This exercise highlights cliches — in this case writing about love and romance — and encourages students to…
Creating characters
This is a fun ice-breaker exercise to engage a group with writing fiction. It encourages students to develop a new fictional character through a focus…
Unusual vocabulary
This exercise develops descriptive writing skills and passion for language, through using made-up and portmanteau words. The exercise encourages individual responses and writing in any…
Tags and labels
This activity opens up a space for connection, even in difference. It encourages students to help point out the ways that we use tags, as…
Plot: Where to Begin?
What makes a story? Where should stories begin? This two-part exercise identifies narrative engines and helps students break from ‘cradle to grave’ storytelling to focus…
Finding gems
This fun writing task encourages creativity and develops confidence. The exercise helps find exciting new ideas and imagery through random juxtaposition. It uses play to…
I remember
This exercise encourages students to use memories as a source of inspiration and creative material. Topics: writing autobiography and memoir; describing emotions and feelings; valuing…
