Flowing Tales: An after-school writing club that inspires budding authors and has a lasting impact.

David Goulbourn

by David Goulbourn

Headmaster, Pownall Hall School & ISI Inspector

Flowing Tales is used either as an online after-school writing club or as a creative writing classroom intervention for children aged between 7 and 12.  The children become 'published authors', are led by outstanding mentors and typically make four months of value-added progression in literacy as a result of participating. We have found that progression in boys' writing, as well as gifted and talented has been especially pronounced; it is also a wonderful way to prepare for entrance examinations whilst having fun!

Flowing Tales writing clubs have a rhythm that children quickly become attuned to and they perform a variety of directed tasks during the club in addition to writing the book itself. Clubs normally run for an hour in your IT suite and the children can continue their activities for two days after each session either at home or at school. Your staff provide the children with their login cards and activity sheets and Flowing Tales do the rest: they undertake all the marking, provide feedback and track each child’s progression. Each club receives at least two days 'teaching time' from Flowing Tales' mentors  over the ten sessions, and frankly, it shows: the marking and feedback is outstanding.

The club leaders work online and remotely, and they are qualified, DBS checked and fully referenced teachers. Their warm feedback style is always bursting with enthusiasm and positivity, so that even reluctant writers are given the confidence to creatively express themselves.

A school-based and online club, it helps to foster strong school / parent relationships

Encouraging Development

​Flowing Tales writing clubs offer an engaging way for children to collaborate with their peers to write a three chapter story for an audience. They create a character, location and plot lines and collaborate over 10 structured sessions. Each child receives regular feedback from Flowing Tales mentors who leave them activities, comments, corrections and inspiration.

​After the second draft of chapters one and two, the children read five chapters selected by the club leader. They rate and review these chapters and the highest rated becomes the starting point for the everyone’s next chapter, which provides an additional creative challenge.

It is always a pleasure watching the children collaborate and critically evaluate each other's work in such a supportive and engaging environment! This critical appreciation of each other’s work helps with reading comprehension, characterisation, developing plot lines. They gain an understanding of what makes a story engaging and why some chapters have been successful. They also develop key social skills as they support each other in creating the story.
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Once the story is complete, Flowing Tales prepare a certificate and progression report for each author. Most importantly, everyone receives a professionally designed and printed book containing their club’s story in addition to an ebook which can be easily emailed; great for families where parents and grandparents are based abroad. It is this development pathway and purpose to the club that really inspires and motivates the children to give of their best.

In short, Flowing Tales is a straight-forward club to get up and running. It requires minimal effort on the part of the school and the impact on attainment for children who participate is significant. Children and parents also love it and it will quickly become an integral part of your clubs' offering.

For further information about Flowing Tales and how to embed the club in your school, please click here to contact the team. You can also visit www.flowingtales.com

Hosting a Flowing Tales intervention is a real pleasure and it is inspiring to witness first hand the enthusiasm that is generated by the children through using the beautifully designed and collegiate writing environment that has been created. They loved the fact that it was completed online and particularly enjoyed the outstanding feedback from the club leader about what they had written and how to improve it.
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They took on board suggestions, which in turn significantly helped to ‘up-level’ their work. I was extremely impressed with the standard of writing the children were inspired to produce and they were very, very proud of the finished product. Flowing Tales is now an integral part of our school calendar.

- Emma Cox. Assistant Head & Head of Literacy at The Grammar School at Leeds.

The children at West Jesmond Primary School have loved the club and there has often been a waiting list. Flowing Tales analysis of pupil work is very thorough and pupils take real pride in their finished work. Boys, in particular love the draw of delivery via ICT and this was certainly noticed when we were inspected by Ofsted and the ICT was full at lunch time with boys writing away at their computers!
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It’s a great tool and team to work with. I’d strongly recommend them. ​

- Dominic Martin. Deputy Headteacher, West Jesmond Primary School





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