How to submit your stories

Welcome to the very first Bedrock Young Authors competition!

Submissions are open from November 1st to January 12th.

Please note, we can only accept stories that have been submitted through the form on our website, using our entry form template.

Entries must be submitted by teachers, parents or guardians. If stories are submitted by a teacher, they must have the permission of the learner's parent or guardian.

Before you submit, please read our T&Cs to make sure the story meets all of the requirements.

Who can enter?

Our competition is open to all learners in KS2, KS3 and KS4, whether they’re Bedrock users or not! Learners must only enter the categories relating to their age bracket.

How can I submit my story?

Please use the submission form on our Bedrock Young Authors website page to submit all entries. Please download the entry form template document, fill this out and attach the completed entry form document to the submission form on the Bedrock Young Authors website page. Please use one entry form per story and ensure that all information in this template is filled out.

Only one file can be uploaded for each form submitted. If you have multiple entries to submit, compress them into a .zip file to upload them together. Please enter each story through a separate entry form, even if they are from the same learner. If multiple stories are submitted via 1 entry form, we can only accept the first story on that form.

We cannot accept entries that have been sent to us in other formats.

What are the requirements for submission?

  • There must not be any identifying information within the story, e.g. learner’s name, location or other identifying information
  • Stories that are submitted must have been written by one person - we can’t accept stories written as a collaboration.
  • Entrants for KS2 categories must be aged between 6 - 11 as of January 12th 2024
  • Entrants for KS3 categories must be aged between 11 - 14 as of January 12th 2024
  • Entrants for KS4 categories must be aged between 14 - 16 as of January 12th 2024
  • If an entrants age falls within two age brackets, they can only enter categories within one bracket. Entries into the second age category will be discarded. Age brackets should be decided based on KS of their school year.
  • All stories submitted must be original work. While non-fiction stories can be based on true events, the prose must be original.
  • There is a 200 word limit. The title is not included.
  • Stories must follow the general theme of Journeys to be in the running for winning.

How can I submit entries for my whole class?

If you would like to submit entries for your whole class at one time we would suggest encouraging your class to write their stories during class or as homework. Once these entries are collected, they will need to be entered into our entry form template (one form per story) and attached to the entry form on our website. To submit multiple files at once, compress them into a .zip file to upload.

We know that teachers are incredibly busy, so why not ask your learners to type up their stories as part of their homework? Or even ask parents to type them up and submit the stories on behalf of their child? Here is a document that you can send to parents with all of the information they will need to do this.

What happens once I’ve submitted my story?

Once you have submitted your story you will be able to download a certificate to celebrate your achievement! If you’re a teacher, you can print off one certificate for each learner to give them in their next class.

Winners will be announced on February 1st, via the email provided on the entry form so keep an eye out!