The Benefits of Creative Writing Courses for Children

Why are Creative Writing Courses Important for Children?

Children study English often during their time at school. So you may be asking yourself – why are creative writing courses important, then?

Well, we’re going to explain how the latest figures show children are starting to struggle with creative writing and what you can do about it.

In the latest national Key Stage 2 assessment results published in July 2024, 72% of pupils met the expected standard in writing at the end of Key Stage 2, a lower figure than reading and maths, and far lower than the pre-covid levels of 78% in 2018/19.

Additionally, according to a report published in June 2024 by the National Literacy Trust, “Fewer than 3 in 10 children and young people aged 8 to 18 said that they enjoy writing in their free time, which is at the lowest levels since 2010.”

We believe that more than ever before, finding ways to excite children with writing should be at the forefront of the minds of parents and teachers across the UK. It is no surprise to learn that the National Literacy Trust also reported that those children who enjoy writing are far more likely to write above the expected level for their age compared to those who do not enjoy writing.

Our courses and clubs teach children the art of writing through storytelling and writing creatively as we strongly believe this is the best method for improving writing skills.

How do we measure the impact of our courses and clubs?

Parent feedback

We collect and analyse parent feedback. In our 2024 Annual Survey, 100% of parents stated that they were ‘delighted’ or ‘happy’ with the course their child attended. 86% of parents were ‘delighted’.

“I love Bright Light Education. As a … teacher myself, my mind is completely at ease that my daughter is receiving first class lessons. The lessons are detailed, varied, clearly structured and [with] high expectations. Absolutely brilliant!”

Assessments

Influenced by the UK National Curriculum, we developed our own ‘Raising the BAR’ assessment for writing. Since autumn 2023, we have assessed children’s writing before and after the course, using 21 writing criteria customised for each year group. Here are the results from fifteen students who submitted pre-course writing and on a weekly basis over 12 weeks in the summer term of 2024:

These results show the significant progress that can be made during a term’s creative writing course or club with Bright Light Education.

Benefits of Extra-Curricular Creative Writing Courses

Frequently Asked Questions

For more information on our ‘Raising the BAR’ writing assessment, please visit our blogpost here.

Would you like to find out more?

Our creative writing clubs and courses run online for families and also as after-school clubs in schools. To find out more about our online courses, please visit our Upcoming Courses or book a Taster Lesson.

If you are a school interested in hearing about our after-school clubs, please visit our Schools page, or send us an email at info@brightlighteducation.co.uk.