11+ Creative Writing Course with Personal Feedback

Our course teaches story writing, narrative recount and description alongside vocabulary, literary devices and SPaG. A dedicated chapter of detailed text lessons covers a wider range of 11+ writing genres, including a lesson on tackling an unusual Future Stories creativity task.

Created and taught by Sheena Ager, writing as S. L. Ager, author of the Cadwaladr 11+ vocabulary novels.

Could Our Author-Led Approach Give Your Child the 11+ Edge?

What Your Child Receives

• One full year of access to the complete course and growing course library
• In-depth teaching in story writing, narrative recount and description, plus detailed text lessons covering discursive and persuasive writing, reports, letters, diary entries, speeches, articles, reviews, instructions, emails, leaflets and how to tackle an unusual Future Stories creativity task
• Individual feedback on one submitted writing piece per household each month
• Monthly live Zoom Writing Clinics, with edited sessions added to the course
• Repeatable quizzes, searchable lesson transcripts, detailed critiques and real anonymised writing examples
• Access from anywhere in the world, at any time

One year of access costs £399. Interest-free payment options through Klarna and Clearpay are available at Thinkific checkout, subject to their usual approval and payment terms. PayPal is also available.

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Individual Writing Feedback Example

Below is an anonymised example of the individual feedback children can receive through the Writing Clinics.

Year 5: The Teacher I Misjudged

Strengths

This is a smashing piece overall, and the opening is definitely the strongest part: it's great!
There’s some good showing straight away, a fabulous simile and a correctly used colon. She’s thought carefully about how to begin the story rather than simply explaining everything to us.
The spelling, punctuation and grammar are also pretty sound throughout, which makes the writing easy to follow.
There are quite a few literary devices in the piece, and they’ve generally been used well. They’re apt and relevant rather than simply being added for the sake of it. We don’t want children writing from a tick list, but it’s worth thinking about where literary devices can be used naturally and judiciously so that they actually make sense within the writing.
There are some good ideas in the story, particularly the friendship between the two children, the strict teacher and the decision to sneak away from the group. The basic story itself works well, and I think this piece would probably do well in a test.

Story and Writing

The opening is great. After that, though, there are parts of the story that could have been tightened or condensed, and other parts that could have been shown more. Paragraph three, for example, is largely telling and doesn’t really add anything important to the conflict. The story could have moved much more quickly from the opening to the children going towards the merry-go-round, which would have brought us closer to the main action sooner.
There are several places where she already has the right idea, but it could have been shown more clearly. Rather than explaining that the character wasn’t tall enough for the ride, for example, we could have seen her standing next to the height restriction while talking to her friend. That would have shown us what was wrong without needing to explain it.
The same applies later when the character says that she took a deep breath and explained what had happened. We don’t really need to be told that she explained it. We could simply hear that conversation between the character and the teacher.

Things to Work On

The biggest thing I’d work on is condensing the telling and showing us the important parts as they happen.
There are around three paragraphs covering the teacher returning, the children being taken into the lunchroom and the character sitting furthest away. I think most of that could probably have been condensed into one paragraph. We don’t really need to see the children being ushered into the lunchroom.
That would have allowed the story to move more quickly into the important part: the children sneaking away, the teacher discovering what they’ve done and the resulting conflict.
I think the story might also have worked better if more of the action had happened in one place. We could have seen the teacher being very strict, making everyone line up and checking that all the children were there. The two friends could then have sneaked into another queue, followed by the teacher’s reaction when she realised they were missing.
I’d also like to see a little more conflict. The teacher is established as very strict, but she seems to give in fairly quickly later in the story. Keeping that conflict going for a little longer could have added more drama.
There’s also one small plausibility point in the second paragraph. The teacher telling the children off for making too much noise makes sense, but the part about an incorrect hairstyle feels slightly less believable. I’m not sure it would necessarily lose marks, but it’s something I’d think about when choosing realistic details.
There are already quite a few literary devices in the piece, but one thing that could perhaps have been added is a metaphor connected to one of the rides.
Overall, she’s done very well. The main thing now is to tighten some of the telling and show us the conflict and action sooner.
This month’s Zoom clinics focused very much on how to choose the conflict from a title and where to start the story, so that teaching ties in particularly well with this piece.

A Writing Critique Excerpt

The excerpt above comes from a detailed line-by-line critique of one piece discussed during a live Writing Clinic. These critiques can run for anything from ten to twenty-five minutes.

Each month, all children are given the same writing title. One piece from the younger session and one from the older session is selected for this depth of feedback. The younger session is broadly for children in Years Three and Four, while the older session is for children in Year Five and above. Because everyone has written from the same title, children can compare the critique directly with their own piece and apply the teaching to their writing.

Each selected piece receives a full line-by-line critique and a complete spelling, punctuation and grammar pass, including awkward phrasing, beneath the video. Both critiques and SPaG passes are added to the course library and are available to every family.

The full critique and SPaG pass are given to the selected piece from each session rather than every submission. Children who submit their own writing also receive individual feedback on one submitted piece per household each month, explaining what is working well, what could be improved and what to focus on next.

Live Writing Clinic Excerpt

A Growing Creative Writing Course Library

The live teaching changes each month in response to the children’s submitted writing. A Writing Clinic typically begins with teaching that is relevant to the whole group, followed by the detailed critique, a live question-and-answer session and our Monthly Best Lines.

Your child can access everything already in the course library, plus the detailed critiques and edited live teaching added throughout their year. Children’s faces are not recorded and their names are edited out before each session is added, creating an expanding library of anonymised writing examples and practical teaching.

Live session times vary, but each Writing Clinic typically lasts around an hour. Occasionally, a session may run slightly longer to allow time for the critique and questions.

11+ Course Reviews

Who Is This Creative Writing Course For?

The course is primarily for children preparing for the 11+, but it is not restricted to Year 4 and Year 5. Children currently use it from around Year 3 to Year 9, depending on their stage and what they need from the teaching. It can also be used intensively over the summer or in the weeks before an exam.

It suits children who need a clear process for approaching writing, rather than another checklist of features to include. Our author-led processes show them what to do, in what order and why, so they have an approach they can trust when writing under pressure. Children join the live teaching session that best matches their stage.

The course can be used on its own or alongside existing tuition.

One Full Year of Teaching and Feedback

Your child receives one full year of access to the complete course, repeatable quizzes, searchable lesson transcripts, individual writing feedback, live Writing Clinics, detailed critiques, our private course community and a growing library of teaching and real writing examples.

This is a human-authored course for human children. The live teaching responds to the work children submit each month. They learn how to draft, edit and improve their writing before gradually applying the same process under timed conditions. Submitted pieces are not timed, so children can write, refine and edit them carefully at home.

The course covers story writing, narrative recount, description, structure, sentence construction, vocabulary, literary devices and SPaG. A dedicated chapter of detailed text lessons covers discursive and persuasive writing, reports, letters, diary entries, speeches, articles, reviews, instructions, emails and leaflets, as well as how to tackle an unusual Future Stories creativity task. SPaG is taught through writing and in context, making the course relevant to entrance examinations, SATs and writing development through to GCSE.

Writing improves through practice, feedback and returning to the teaching. Children can repeat the quizzes to identify weaker areas, revisit the relevant lessons and check their progress. Parental involvement can also make a real difference, whether that means working through some of the teaching together, discussing feedback or helping a child apply one point to their next piece. Parents are welcome to attend the live Writing Clinics and ask questions too.

One year of access to everything costs £399. Interest-free payment options through Klarna and Clearpay are available at Thinkific checkout, subject to their usual approval and payment terms. PayPal is also available.

11 Plus Creative Writing Course FAQs

Which 11+ Writing Genres Does the Course Cover?

Story writing, narrative recount and description are taught in depth. The course also includes a dedicated chapter of detailed text lessons covering discursive and persuasive writing, reports, letters, diary entries, speeches, articles, reviews, instructions, emails and leaflets. The chapter also explains how to tackle an unusual Future Stories creativity task without trying to predict a future question. Each lesson explains how the genre or task works, gives children a paragraph-by-paragraph plan for a timed response and includes two worked examples: a basic response and a better version.

Who is the course suitable for?

The course is primarily for children preparing for the 11+, but it is not restricted to a particular school year. Children currently use it from around Year 3 to Year 9, depending on their stage. Younger children generally join the Year 4 live session and older children generally join the Year 5 session.

Can this writing course be used as a crash course?

Yes. Children can work through the core teaching intensively over the summer or in the weeks before an exam.
You will still receive one full year of access to everything, so your child can continue practising, join the Writing Clinics, receive feedback and revisit the teaching afterwards.

How long will we have access?

You will have access to everything, including the new materials, for one full year from enrolment. The course is available online at any time worldwide, plus the live sessions, so your child can revisit the teaching throughout that year.

Will my child receive individual feedback?

Yes. Each household may submit one piece of writing for individual feedback each month, regardless of how many siblings use the course. The feedback explains what is working well, what could be improved and what to focus on next.

How do the Writing Clinics work?

Writing Clinics are live Zoom sessions for children and parents, with separate sessions grouped broadly by stage.

Before each Clinic, I read every submitted piece. The session includes teaching based on the writing submitted that month, an in-depth critique of one selected piece, a live question-and-answer session and our Monthly Best Lines.

All writing is anonymised, so children can learn from one another without anyone being identified.

Why are the Writing Clinics held once a month?

Separate live Writing Clinics are held each month for the two age groups. The younger Clinic is broadly for children in Years Three and Four, while the older Clinic is for children in Year Five and above.

The course teaches children how to draft, edit and improve a piece rather than simply testing what they can produce against the clock. A month gives them time to learn, write, refine and submit their work for feedback before gradually applying the same process under timed conditions.

What happens if we miss a live session?

Every detailed critique and edited live teaching session is added to the course, so your child can watch it later. Children can access the teaching and critiques from both age groups, and nothing useful is limited to those who attended live.

How does the live course community work?

Think of the course community as a private Facebook group for enrolled families, held within the course. Parents can ask questions, discuss the teaching and receive support between live sessions. We typically reply within 24 hours.

Families do not need to identify themselves or their child publicly. They can choose a different username and refer simply to ‘my child’ when posting.

Do you offer one-to-one creative writing tuition?

Yes. One-to-one tuition is available as a separate offering, but only after a child has worked through the course. This means we can use the same writing processes and build on the teaching they already understand.

One-to-one tuition is not included in the course price.

Can I pay in instalments?

You can use interest-free payment options through Klarna and Clearpay at Thinkific checkout, subject to their usual approval and payment terms. PayPal is also available.

The payment options available to you will be shown when you reach checkout.

Can my child use the course from outside the UK?

Yes. The course can be followed from anywhere in the world, and children can return to the teaching at any time. Writing Clinic times vary, but edited live teaching sessions are added to the course library, so your child will not miss the teaching if they cannot attend live. Children outside the UK can submit one piece of writing per household each month for individual feedback in exactly the same way.

Ready to Begin?

The 11+ is a competition, and one mark can make the difference.

Give your child a clear author-led writing process they can practise, apply and revisit, with live teaching and individual feedback along the way.

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Still Have a Question?

If you have any questions about the course before enrolling, send us a WhatsApp message.

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How Does Our Course Compare with More Traditional Methods?

Before comparing prices, compare what your child can actually use, revisit and learn from.

More traditional methods give children the time that has been booked. Our course gives your family one full year of author-led teaching, repeatable quizzes, live Zoom Writing Clinics, individual feedback on one submitted writing piece per household each month and a writing library that grows every month.

This is not an app. It is a human-authored course for human children. Every lesson, quiz, critique, Writing Clinic and course update is designed, taught and updated by S. L. Ager, author of 14 books for the 11+, including original full-length vocabulary novels.

Here is how our course compares with more traditional methods.

What your child receives	Our 11+ Creative Writing Course	More Traditional Methods
Learn anywhere, 24/7, for 365 days	Learn from anywhere in the world, 24/7, for 365 days. Pause, replay and return as often as needed: rinse and repeat!	The session ends when the allotted time ends. It typically is not recorded for replay, so anything covered can easily be forgotten.
Everything included for one full year	The complete course, repeatable quizzes, lesson transcripts, live Zoom Writing Clinics, individual feedback on one submitted writing piece per household each month, in-depth writing critiques, private community and everything added during your year.	There is no standard package. What is included varies.
Watch a weak story become a strong story	Children watch a deliberately weak story being planned, written, cut, edited and strengthened on screen. Every change is explained: what we change, why we change it and what difference it makes.	A finished model answer shows children the result, but not necessarily how to get there.
Learn through the lens of a published 11+ author	Every lesson, quiz, Writing Clinic, critique and course update comes directly from S. L. Ager, author of 14 books for the 11+, including original full-length vocabulary novels. Our teaching draws on real experience of drafting, rewriting, professional editing and publication.	The writing may not be informed by first-hand experience of drafting, professionally editing and publishing original fiction.
A writing process children can use every time	Our author-led framework shows children what to do, in what order and why. They can use it every time, whatever the story title.	Beginning, middle and end gives children three sections, but it does not explain what must happen inside them for the writing to become a story.
New teaching and individual feedback every month	Each month brings new Zoom Writing Clinics, writing critiques (in-depth reviews of selected pieces) and individual feedback on one submitted writing piece per household.	There is typically no writing library that grows each month.
Live monthly Zoom Writing Clinics	Separate Zoom sessions for Year 4 and below and Year 5 and above. We read every piece submitted, give universal teaching, share a prepared writing critique, answer children’s questions live and finish with our Monthly Best Lines. We stay until the questions are answered.	Group sessions typically run for a set length of time, so the time available for individual questions is shared across the group. Group sizes vary.
Learn from in-depth professional writing critiques	Each month, one piece from each age group is chosen for a filmed 10 to 25-minute professional editorial critique. A full spelling, punctuation and grammar pass, including awkward phrasing, is added beneath the video. Every family can compare the critique with their own child’s response to the same title.	There is typically no growing library of detailed critiques and SPaG passes based on real children’s writing.
Find the exact teaching your child needs	Search the whole course by topic and jump straight to relevant lessons. Every lesson also has a full transcript that can be searched separately.	There is typically no searchable library to help children find and revisit everything previously covered.
Learn Key Stage 2 SPaG through real writing	All Key Stage 2 SPaG is taught through writing and in context, rather than as a series of isolated drills. Children can return to each topic as often as needed.	SPaG can become a separate set of drills rather than being understood and applied through writing. Approaches vary.
Repeat the quizzes and revisit weaker areas	Repeat the course quizzes again and again to find weaker areas, revisit the teaching and check progress.	Repeatable quizzes and progress checks may not be included, making weaker areas harder to identify and revisit.
Master the hardest writing before moving wider	Story writing is typically the hardest genre for children to understand. We teach it in depth, show how it differs from narrative recount and description, then build skills that feed into every other genre.	Breadth can come at the expense of depth, leaving children exposed to several genres without fully understanding how each one works.
Learn how to edit before writing against the clock	Children first learn how to draft, edit and improve without a clock, then practise the process until they can use it under timed conditions.	Timed tasks can reveal that a child is struggling, but the clock does not teach them how to improve.
Use literary devices with purpose, not from a tick list	Children learn how, when and why to use literary devices. Every device must be apt, relevant and earn its place.	Literary devices can be reduced to a tick list: adjective used, adverb used, simile included. A tick shows presence, not whether the choice improves the writing. Approaches vary.
Ask questions between sessions	Ask us questions in our private course community at any time, from anywhere in the world (like a Facebook group, but private and held inside the course). We typically reply within 24 hours.	There may be no help between sessions. Whether children can ask questions, and how quickly they receive an answer, varies.
One enrolment covers siblings at home	One enrolment gives siblings living in the same household full access to the course for one year. Each household may submit one piece of writing for individual feedback each month, regardless of how many siblings use the course.	A second child can mean paying a second fee. What is included varies.
A full year for approximately £1.09 a day	£399 for everything for one full year: about £1.09 per day, with 24/7 access throughout term time, weekends and school holidays. Interest-free payment options are available through Klarna and Clearpay, subject to their terms.	At around £30 per child, one reputable group writing session a week is equivalent to about £4.29 per day. Twelve sessions cost £360, and holiday courses are typically charged separately.

Tap any heading to compare what your child receives.

Learn anywhere, 24/7, for 365 days

Our 11+ Creative Writing Course

Learn from anywhere in the world, 24/7, for 365 days. Pause, replay and return as often as needed: rinse and repeat!

More Traditional Methods

The session ends when the allotted time ends. It typically is not recorded for replay, so anything covered can easily be forgotten.

Everything included for one full year

Our 11+ Creative Writing Course

The complete course, repeatable quizzes, lesson transcripts, live Zoom Writing Clinics, individual feedback on one submitted writing piece per household each month, in-depth writing critiques, private community and everything added during your year.

More Traditional Methods

There is no standard package. What is included varies.

Watch a weak story become a strong story

Our 11+ Creative Writing Course

Children watch a deliberately weak story being planned, written, cut, edited and strengthened on screen. Every change is explained: what we change, why we change it and what difference it makes.

More Traditional Methods

A finished model answer shows children the result, but not necessarily how to get there.

Learn through the lens of a published 11+ author

Our 11+ Creative Writing Course

Every lesson, quiz, Writing Clinic, critique and course update comes directly from S. L. Ager, author of 14 books for the 11+, including original full-length vocabulary novels. Our teaching draws on real experience of drafting, rewriting, professional editing and publication.

More Traditional Methods

The writing may not be informed by first-hand experience of drafting, professionally editing and publishing original fiction.

A writing process children can use every time

Our 11+ Creative Writing Course

Our author-led framework shows children what to do, in what order and why. They can use it every time, whatever the story title.

More Traditional Methods

Beginning, middle and end gives children three sections, but it does not explain what must happen inside them for the writing to become a story.

New teaching and individual feedback every month

Our 11+ Creative Writing Course

Each month brings new Zoom Writing Clinics, writing critiques (in-depth reviews of selected pieces) and individual feedback on one submitted writing piece per household.

More Traditional Methods

There is typically no writing library that grows each month.

Live monthly Zoom Writing Clinics

Our 11+ Creative Writing Course

Separate Zoom sessions for Year 4 and below and Year 5 and above. We read every piece submitted, give universal teaching, share a prepared writing critique, answer children’s questions live and finish with our Monthly Best Lines. We stay until the questions are answered.

More Traditional Methods

Group sessions typically run for a set length of time, so the time available for individual questions is shared across the group. Group sizes vary.

Learn from in-depth professional writing critiques

Our 11+ Creative Writing Course

Each month, one piece from each age group is chosen for a filmed 10 to 25-minute professional editorial critique. A full spelling, punctuation and grammar pass, including awkward phrasing, is added beneath the video. Every family can compare the critique with their own child’s response to the same title.

More Traditional Methods

There is typically no growing library of detailed critiques and SPaG passes based on real children’s writing.

Find the exact teaching your child needs

Our 11+ Creative Writing Course

Search the whole course by topic and jump straight to relevant lessons. Every lesson also has a full transcript that can be searched separately.

More Traditional Methods

There is typically no searchable library to help children find and revisit everything previously covered.

Learn Key Stage 2 SPaG through real writing

Our 11+ Creative Writing Course

All Key Stage 2 SPaG is taught through writing and in context, rather than as a series of isolated drills. Children can return to each topic as often as needed.

More Traditional Methods

SPaG can become a separate set of drills rather than being understood and applied through writing. Approaches vary.

Repeat the quizzes and revisit weaker areas

Our 11+ Creative Writing Course

Repeat the course quizzes again and again to find weaker areas, revisit the teaching and check progress.

More Traditional Methods

Repeatable quizzes and progress checks may not be included, making weaker areas harder to identify and revisit.

Master the hardest writing before moving wider

Our 11+ Creative Writing Course

Story writing is typically the hardest genre for children to understand. We teach it in depth, show how it differs from narrative recount and description, then build skills that feed into every other genre.

More Traditional Methods

Breadth can come at the expense of depth, leaving children exposed to several genres without fully understanding how each one works.

Learn how to edit before writing against the clock

Our 11+ Creative Writing Course

Children first learn how to draft, edit and improve without a clock, then practise the process until they can use it under timed conditions.

More Traditional Methods

Timed tasks can reveal that a child is struggling, but the clock does not teach them how to improve.

Use literary devices with purpose, not from a tick list

Our 11+ Creative Writing Course

Children learn how, when and why to use literary devices. Every device must be apt, relevant and earn its place.

More Traditional Methods

Literary devices can be reduced to a tick list: adjective used, adverb used, simile included. A tick shows presence, not whether the choice improves the writing. Approaches vary.

Ask questions between sessions

Our 11+ Creative Writing Course

Ask us questions in our private course community at any time, from anywhere in the world (like a Facebook group, but private and held inside the course). We typically reply within 24 hours.

More Traditional Methods

There may be no help between sessions. Whether children can ask questions, and how quickly they receive an answer, varies.

One enrolment covers siblings at home

Our 11+ Creative Writing Course

One enrolment gives siblings living in the same household full access to the course for one year. Each household may submit one piece of writing for individual feedback each month, regardless of how many siblings use the course.

More Traditional Methods

A second child can mean paying a second fee. What is included varies.

A full year for approximately £1.09 a day

Our 11+ Creative Writing Course

£399 for everything for one full year: about £1.09 per day, with 24/7 access throughout term time, weekends and school holidays. Interest-free payment options are available through Klarna and Clearpay, subject to their terms.

More Traditional Methods

At around £30 per child, one reputable group writing session a week is equivalent to about £4.29 per day. Twelve sessions cost £360, and holiday courses are typically charged separately.

There Is No Silver Bullet

Learning to write is no different from learning an instrument or playing a sport. One hour of violin practice a week will not take a child quickly to Grade Eight, and one hour of football practice a week will not create a professional footballer. Writing works in exactly the same way.

We are not trying to turn children into novelists overnight. We teach them how to write, then give them the teaching, feedback and repeatable processes they need to improve: watch, pause, replay, write, edit and go back again. Rinse and repeat!

Some children will work through much of the course independently. Others will need a parent beside them, particularly at the beginning. The 11+ is fiercely competitive, and no course or session can do the practice for them. Our teaching is available 24/7, but children still need to use it.

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