An online course focused on creative writing.
Creative Writing
May to August 2027, 12 sessions
From £595
15-18
Online
Best for
Students considering taught writing study
Course, Competition or Independent Project: Choosing Enrichment
Choose a course for guided learning, a competition for an external challenge, or an independent project for ownership. Match the work and support to your learning goal.
Programs
Choose between optionsLast verified: 10 Oct 2026Reviewed by:SSSean Stevens
- Choose a course when you need a teaching sequence and help building subject knowledge.
- Choose a competition when an external brief or assessment would give your work a clear focus.
- Choose an independent project when you want to define the question, method and finished work yourself.
- Compare actual feedback, weekly workload and total expenses before choosing a format.
- Try free lessons, school resources or a small project before committing to a larger activity.
- Combine formats when useful: learn a skill first, then apply it to a challenge or project.
What Succeed checks
We review public sources, provider information and recognised education-sector guidance, then focus on what helps students make practical decisions.
How official sources are used
We use official sources where available, especially for deadlines, eligibility, costs, availability and application details.
What Last verified means
Last verified is the latest date Succeed checked the key public information used in this guide. Details can still change after that date.
Why details can change
Opportunity details can change between review cycles. Always check the official source before applying or making a final decision.
Succeed's guidance is editorially independent. Providers do not approve or control the advice in our guides. If a provider relationship affects a page, we state it clearly.
What extracurricular enrichment means in high school
Extracurricular enrichment is learning beyond your usual school requirements through courses, challenges or work you direct yourself. A course usually organizes what you study, a competition sets an external task or assessment, and an independent project lets you define the work. In the UK, look for secondary school opportunities and sixth form options, which generally cover the final two school years before university.
Provider examples show why these categories can overlap. Art of Problem Solving's AMC 10 Problem Series teaches through past exam problems and test strategies and includes a practice test, while UAL's Creative Writing for 16 to 18 Year Olds Short Course uses daily in-person sessions to begin creative work. Succeed's interpretation is that a course can supply preparation for a challenge or project; the useful distinction is who sets the work and how you receive support.
Independent work can also follow an external framework: CREST lets students direct projects and offers noncompetitive assessment against its criteria. You can instead plan a small project around school resources, reading or free lessons, with a teacher's guidance where needed. Compare what you want to learn, who can help and what you will finish before choosing the activity's label.
How to choose extracurricular enrichment in high school
Write one concrete goal, such as learning a technique, solving a defined problem or completing an original piece.
Common mistake: Avoid choosing by name alone.
Compare teaching, individual feedback and supervision, then identify who will help when you get stuck.
Common mistake: Avoid assuming assessment includes mentoring.
Put classes, preparation, independent work, revisions and travel into your weekly schedule alongside school and rest.
Common mistake: Avoid counting only scheduled sessions.
Compare fees, materials, equipment, travel, internet access, time zones and accessibility arrangements with your family's resources.
Common mistake: Avoid treating online access as universal.
Identify the assignment, entry, report or creation you will complete and how you will record your own contribution.
Common mistake: Avoid confusing attendance with completed work.
Try a sample lesson, practice task or small project using existing resources before choosing a larger commitment.
Common mistake: Avoid starting several demanding activities together.
For research involving people, animals or hazardous materials, establish appropriate supervision and required approvals before starting. ISEF rules require advance review for specified project types, so choosing a competition after collecting data can create problems.
Compare courses, competitions and independent projects
| Dimensions | Course | Competition | Independent project |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main goal | Learn through a planned sequence | Apply skills to an external challenge | Investigate or create something you define |
| Who sets the work | Provider sets curriculum and assignments | Organizer sets brief and rules | You set scope, methods and milestones |
| Support | Teaching and feedback vary by course | Preparation support and feedback vary | Arrange guidance and supervision as needed |
| Time | Scheduled sessions or self-paced study | Preparation and submission follow organizer requirements | Flexible schedule, with milestones you maintain |
| Expenses | Free resources or tuition, plus practical expenses | Entry, preparation, materials and travel may add expenses | Materials, equipment and optional assessment |
| Possible outputs | Exercises, assignments or creative work | Test responses, entry or presentation | Report, prototype, creative piece or documented investigation |
| Access considerations | Starting level, format, time zone and accessibility | Entry rules, location and registration route | Available resources, safe methods and suitable guidance |
| Accessible starting point | Free introductory lessons | Practice tasks or a suitable school challenge | Small project using resources you already have |
Enrichment options to compare next
Compare these course and challenge examples, then outline an independent alternative with a clear output and support plan.
Save deadline
Creative Writing Competition
Open now
Create an original story based on one of the competition season's topics.
Creative Writing
04 Mar 2027
$45
9-18
Online
Best for
Students wanting a defined writing task
Community Projects Competition
Open now
Apply the provider's problem-solving process to a project in your community.
Design
21 Jan 2027
Free
9-18
Hybrid
Best for
Students interested in community problems
Save the recommended course and challenges, then compare their requirements with your project plan.
Compare and save enrichment optionsCheck whether an enrichment activity fits
State the skill or question you want to explore.
Read the starting-level and entry requirements.
Identify who provides feedback and supervision.
Schedule preparation, practical work and revisions.
Compare total expenses with your family's budget.
Confirm device, time-zone and accessibility requirements.
Define your finished work and record your contribution.
Compare a smaller alternative using existing resources.
How enrichment priorities can change with age
| Age / year group | Best focus | Good opportunity types | What to prepare |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13-14 | Explore interests and build routines | Introductory courses, practice challenges, small projects | Starting level, adult support, short work plan |
| 15-16 | Develop a skill through sustained work | Focused courses, suitable competitions, scoped projects | Weekly schedule, feedback plan, defined output |
| 17-18 | Deepen interests while balancing other commitments | Advanced courses, external challenges, independent investigations | Prerequisites, feasible scope, supervision, revision time |
Common assumptions about enrichment choices
Reality
A course organizes learning, while a competition sets an external challenge or assessment. A preparation course can connect the two.
What to do
Choose according to the teaching or challenge you need.
Reality
You can direct a project while receiving guidance or necessary supervision. CREST permits mentor support without making mentoring a requirement.
What to do
Keep decisions and contributions clear when accepting help.
Reality
Price does not establish whether the teaching, task or support matches your goal. Free learning resources can provide a useful starting point.
What to do
Compare the specific support you would use.
Reality
Recognition can record attendance, participation or assessment against particular criteria. OpenLearn statements and badges carry no formal qualification credit.
What to do
Read what the recognition actually certifies.
Narrow your enrichment choices
Use the Opportunity Match Quiz to narrow your shortlist, then compare each option's actual work and support.
Step 1 of 4
What are you looking for right now?
Selection reviewed by
Sean Stevens
Co-founder, Succeed | Founder, Immerse Education (2012–2026)
Sean works at the intersection of academic enrichment, program quality and university preparation, with expertise in evaluating pre-university experiences for ambitious secondary school students.
Questions about choosing extracurricular enrichment
Start with a course if you need a sequence of lessons to build foundations. Start with a small independent project if you already have a feasible question or creation in mind and can arrange suitable guidance.
Yes, some courses explicitly teach competition preparation. Art of Problem Solving's AMC 10 Problem Series discusses past exam problems and test strategies and includes a practice AMC 10 test; taking the course and entering the competition are separate activities.
Khan Academy offers free courses and practice resources that students can use at their own pace; Khanmigo is a separate optional paid subscription. OpenLearn offers free study and downloadable formats, although some interactive content has accessibility limitations. Choose a manageable starting level and test the format you need.
No, the resources depend on the question and method. CREST describes project options that can be completed at home without specialist laboratories, but any practical work still needs appropriate safety planning and supervision.
CREST Awards are noncompetitive: projects are assessed against criteria rather than ranked against other entries. Silver involves at least 30 hours of work per student, a project report and profile form, with external assessment.
Students choose and run their project, record the work, complete profile forms and upload the project for external assessment. The process also includes an invoice request and entry-fee payment; a certificate follows successful award achievement.
Help the student compare workload, expenses and practical access, then agree on manageable milestones. Let the student make the project's decisions and complete the work, while arranging guidance or supervision where needed.
Keep your finished work, drafts or work log, feedback and a brief reflection on what you learned. Record what you contributed and describe any certificate accurately, distinguishing attendance, participation and assessment.
Explore more
Useful guides
Sources
- Getting a Mentor for a CREST Award
- CREST Award Application Fees
- CREST Silver Application Information
- CREST Awards Getting Started
- Regeneron ISEF Rules for All Projects
- MAA AMC Registration and Information
- OpenLearn Frequently Asked Questions
- Khan Academy Free Resources for Families and Homeschoolers
- UAL Creative Writing for 16 to 18 Year Olds Short Course
- AoPS AMC 10 Problem Series
Find opportunities that fit your next step
Use this guide to build a shortlist, then find matching opportunities in Succeed.