This year, we are inviting our young learners to take part in a Story Writing Competition. Read on to find out more about this new initiative!
What's the competition about?
Each of our students, whether they are 3 or 18 (or anything in between!), can write a story based on our theme of "friendship".
Why should my child take part?
Our Story Writing Competition is beneficial for all learners for many reasons, including the ones below:
- It motivates our learners: Children and teens are particularly motivated to write when there’s a competition to win! For our Book Review Competition in 2025, we had approximately 100 entries. That’s 100 learners who chose to read and write in their free time.
- It makes English purposeful: When pupils write a story, English is no longer a goal; it is a tool used to create something new. The competition gives a purpose and context to learning English.
- It fosters a sense of community: All of our pupils, whether aged 3 or 18, whether beginners or native-level speakers, can enter the competition at their level. Thanks to our various categories, everybody stands a chance!
- It supports pupils in developing the British Council’s core competencies, our set of 21st Century Skills. For example, when sticking to word limit, students need to think critically and problem solve to express themselves concisely. Our theme of friendship promotes personal development and citizenship skills too.
- It helps our young writers develop their voice: Pupils aren’t just generating ideas, they are also thinking about how to express these ideas. Which word is the most appropriate? How can they give their characters depth? How can they create cliffhangers? Gradually, they are developing their voice as writers.
How can my child take part?
A bespoke template has been created for our learners, taking into account their age and language level.
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Template A: for Early Years 3-5, Primary 1-3, and Bilingual 4-6
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Template B: for Primary 4-5 and Bilingual 7-10
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Template C: for Secondary A1-B1
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Template D: for Secondary B2, Bilingual 11-13, and Exam Preparation classes (FCE, CAE, CPE and IGCSE).
All entries must be sent in PDF form, by email, to yl-english-extra@britishcouncil.fr by Wednesday 4 February 2026.
For more information, including guidelines and FAQs, see the document at the bottom of the page.
What happens next?
Once our winners have been selected, they will be a winner’s ceremony, which will be held towards the end of the academic year. They will each get their hands on a winner’s certificate and a holiday course voucher!