or call 020 7404 3400
or call 020 7404 3400
Or call 020 7404 3400
BBC 500 Words Competition returns this Autumn!
The UK’s biggest writing competition encourages children aged 5-11 years to write a story they would love to read. From Tuesday 22nd September to 9pm on Friday 6th November, children can submit a story that’s just 500 words or fewer. Punctuation and grammar don’t matter – it’s only creativity that matters!
We’re delighted to announce that we will once again support BBC 500 Words and are donating a bespoke, literacy Wall Art project. BBC will pick a story submission, at random, to win the prize draw. That pupil will win a bundle of books and a bespoke Wall Art project for their school.
There are very few rules for 500 Words but a few points to remember when writing a story.
All 500 Words stories must be:
Stories must not:
All stories are judged Characterisation, Plot, Originality, Language and Enjoyment. Entries must be submitted before 9pm Friday 6 November!
Are you a teacher or librarian? Do you love to read and mark the work of imaginative 5-11 year-olds? If so, you could be a 500 Words story judge! Registrations open at the end of July. You might mark the winning story!
Registrations open at the end of July. Volunteer judges will receive a batch of ten randomly allocated (anonymised) stories.
As a judge, you will have a month to read and mark them, as the volunteer judging round ends. Being a judge is great fun and hugely inspiring as you enjoy the originality and ingenuity of children’s stories.
You will need to provide the name of a referee, who can verify that you are able to mark the work of 5-11 year-olds. Please let them know to expect an email from BBC once you have completed your application.
The first round of judging for 500 Words 2026/27 will take place once the competition has closed to entries, on Friday 6 November until Wednesday 10 December . Volunteer judges will receive their first stories on Monday 9th November 2026.
For the fourth year running, we are very proud to support the BBC 500 Words Competition by donating a bespoke Wall Art project. Every child that submits a story automatically enters a prize draw. BBC will select one story at random. And the author will win a bundle of books for themselves and their school, as well as a Wall Art project (by us!).
There’s more to this competition than just the prizes. In fact, teachers who enter 500 Words see the benefits for children’s literacy learning and love of writing too.
With the downward trend in the number of children writing for pleasure in the UK, 500 Words continues to inspire a love of literacy. Teachers who submit stories on behalf of students feel their students are more engaged with literacy and writing as a result of taking part in the competition.
As an education design agency, we’re passionate about supporting initiatives that fuel literacy and a love of learning in children. BBC 500 Words encourages creativity and originality, two characteristics that mirror our ethos as a creative agency.
Mytham Primary School in Bolton won the random draw last year. Speaking about the prize, Headteacher Angela Bogle said;
“The Wall Art is wonderful..the children loved it in our back to school assembly”.
We loved working closely with the school to bring the project to life.
Mytham Primary School in Bolton has a big focus on reading for pleasure. The school has a Book Squad, which is made up of pupils who are passionate about reading. When we approached the school to work on their winning Wall Art project, the Book Squad played a key part.
They canvassed peers and researched which books should be featured in the bespoke design to ensure that every child could look at the wall and feel it resonated with them and their interests. Miss Findon, the school’s English coordinator, shared their ideas with us to include. The Book Squad also gave feedback on the designs we presented back to the school.
Keep an eye on our blog and social media channels for updates and information about the competition.
And don’t forget to visit the BBC 500 Words website to find out about the rules and how to enter.
We’ll visit your school to understand your goals, explain our process and provide you with a no-obligation quote.
