Teach children how to write engaging and frightening stories with this KS2 scary story writing pack. The resource gives pupils everything they need to create their own spooky tales, from planning sheets and vocabulary banks to detailed WAGOLL extracts. You can use the pack to guide children step by step, from exploring story ingredients to structuring their own writing.
The heart of the resource lies in the model texts. Two complete spooky story extracts show children exactly what a good one looks like. Each extract uses a wide range of features such as short sentences for suspense, personification to bring shadows to life and similes and metaphors to build atmosphere.
Children can read and annotate these texts, spotting devices like repetition, onomatopoeia, ellipsis and the rule of three. The feature lists at the bottom of the pages give clear prompts so pupils know what to look for.
Alongside the WAGOLL texts, the pack contains:
- Scary vocabulary sheet – organised into three useful sections: description, action and feelings. This gives children a ready-made bank of words to help them build setting, mood and character reactions.
- Writing sheet – packed with scary sentence starters, “ingredients” of effective stories and tips to push writing further.
- Story planner – a guided template where pupils can map out characters, settings and plot points before writing.
Teacher notes and support
Teacher notes provide guidance on how to introduce the resource, model examples to the class and encourage pupils to draw on reading and research. You can use the vocabulary and extracts as a springboard for shared writing, guided annotation or independent planning.
Curriculum links
This resource matches key aims of the KS2 English programme of study. Pupils will:
- Plan writing by discussing and analysing similar stories to learn about structure, vocabulary and grammar
- Develop ideas by noting first thoughts and drawing on their own reading and research
- Study how authors create characters, settings and atmosphere
- Draft and write by creating characters, settings and plots with a clear sense of mood
By combining ready-to-use planning sheets, rich vocabulary banks and authentic WAGOLL texts, this pack gives you everything you need to help children craft their own chilling and imaginative scary stories.