Creative writing accounts for half of the total English Language marks (80 out of 160). It includes both fiction writing (descriptions and stories) and non-fiction (articles, letters, speeches).

The course consists of six one-hour sessions in small groups of five students. 

Of course, no one becomes a writer in six lessons. That is not the point. The point is something simpler—and more useful: to understand how the exam actually works, how to write a full response to almost any prompt in 45 minutes, which techniques reliably earn marks, and how to stop losing time staring at a blank page or trying to ‘force’ ideas that won’t come.

Most importantly, each student begins to see their own strengths more clearly—what already earns them marks, and what simply needs a little more shaping and control.

LESSON 1 Universal Writing Toolkit

A set of adaptable techniques that work across many different exam prompts – essentially a reusable framework. 

• Describing Place / Person / Object in a variety of ways

• Controlled structure – Teaching students how to organise writing (zooming in on a character, detail, shifting tone, time, perspective)

• Language toolkit (a bank of devices to write descriptively)

• Strong starting and ending techniques (changes of direction / twists / reflective close)

LESSON 2 Writing a Description

• 5-paragraph structure

• Zoom in / zoom out model - Moving from wide-angle to microscopic detail.

• Descriptive language

• Sensory detail system (5 senses)

• Building atmosphere

LESSON 3 Storywriting/Narrative (short story)

Mastering the "Drop, Hint, Flash, Dash" narrative:

• Drop the reader straight into something happening.

• Hint at bigger meaning, tension, or backstory.

• Flashback, flash of insight, or revealing moment.

• Move decisively to the ending.

4-stage story:

• Setup 

• Build-up 

• Change

• Ending shift

LESSON 4 Presenting an argument (Persuasive writing)

• Thinking about the audience – who am I trying to convince

• Persuasive writing (rhetorical) toolkit – using Ethos, Pathos, Logos to argue your point

• argument engine:

• opinion

• argument

• counter-argument

• conclusion

LESSON 5 Article + Speech + Letter  (same structure, different style and format)

• Article = opinion + argument

• Speech = persuasive + direct address

• Letter = formal/informal tone control

LESSON 6 Writing practise in controlled timed environment

The final edit checklist. 

The Punctuation Palette: Moving beyond the comma. Using semicolons and colons for dramatic effect.