ENRICHMENT

Clubs and competitions

Another way you can enrich your English skills and knowledge is to take part in extra-curricular clubs and competitions. We run several different clubs, as well as our annual creative writing competitions, and we encourage students to take part in prestigious national and international competitions.

Competitions to enter right now

If you like the sound of any of these, want to enter, but feel as if you need a little bit of help getting started, just speak to your English teacher. They’ll be happy to help.

National and international competitions

The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 

One of the biggest and most prestigious poetry competitions for 11–17-year-olds in the world.   More details here.  Closing date 31st July.  

Trinity College Cambridge’s Gould prize for essays in English Literature

Prestigious sixth-form essay-writing prize. More details here. Closing date 1st August.

HG Wells Short Story Competition 

This prestigious competition asks for stories between 1500 and 5000 words on the theme of ‘The Middle Ground.  More details here.  Closing date 8th July.

The Betty Haigh Shakespeare Prize 

This competition offers an opportunity for students aged 11 – 19 in school, college, or sixth form to demonstrate their creativity and their engagement with an adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s texts.   More details here.  Closing date 30th September. 

The Young Walter Scott Prize 

If you are aged between 11 and 19 and interested in history and writing, the YWSP is ready to take you on an adventure.  They are the UK’s only creative writing prize specifically for budding historical fiction writers. You could win a £500 travel grant. More details here. Closing date – 31st October 2025. 

Clubs and competitions in school

Enter one of our annual creative writing competitions

We run a number of competitions throughout the year, every year. If you happen to win, you will receive Bonus Levels to your overall English Level, plus one of our legendary trophies. The regular competitions are:

  • The Cursed Pen – our annual horror writing competition

  • The Green Dagger – our annual crime writing competition

  • The SHSG Poetry Prize – our annual poetry competition

Join our Debating Society

Students in Years 7-10 will be able to learn the skills of debating, practise debates for fun and take part in internal and external debate competitions.

Join our Creative Writing Group

Our creative writing group (for students in KS3 and 4) meets every week to practise and share their work.

Join the GCSE Book Club

Students in Year 10 will be able to join our Reading Group, in which they’ll read some brilliant super-curricular books and talk about them.