The ISA Essay Competition 2025 is an annual opportunity for pupils at ISA Members’ schools to showcase their writing skills. Young writers are invited

The ISA Essay Competition 2025

The ISA Essay Competition 2025 is an annual opportunity for pupils at ISA Members’ schools to showcase their writing skills. Young writers are invited to submit entries to a range of categories. Open to Years 5-13.

Open for entries: Thursday 13 February 

Deadline: Thursday 24 April

This competition is open to ISA Members’ schools only. Schools may submit a maximum of two entries for each category except for the Year 12-13 category, who may enter up to six essays in total. We encourage schools to run their own competition in house and submit their successful entries in the competition.

At ISA, we are committed to making our opportunities accessible, we welcome applications from all pupils, including those with learning difficulties or disabilities. Alternative formats of these guidelines are available on request. Please notify us at the earliest opportunity so we can provide the document accordingly, if required.

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Other Ongoing Writing Competitions

• Champions Educational Foundation Essay Competition 2025 | N150,000 Cash Prize 
• The ISA Essay Competition 2025
• SADC Secondary School Essay Competition 2025 | $1,500 Cash Prize 
• Write on the River Writers Competition 2025 | $1,200 Cash Prize 
• 3 Minutes Arts Competition 2025 | £50 Cash Prize 

Age group categories

• Year 5-6

• Year 7-8

• Year 9-11

• Year 12-13

Judging Criteria 

• Originality and creativity

• Style and presentation

• Use of language

• Form and structure

How to Enter 

• Entries must be submitted via the online entry form on the ISA website here by Thursday 24 2024.

• All files must be PDF or word documents named in the following format: school name followed by the pupil or

group name e.g. SchoolName_JohnSmith

• Entries can be handwritten or typed.

• Entries should be unaided work. They should not have been heavily edited/re-drafted following teacher

comments or feedback.

• Entries can be written in any language, provided an English translation is given.

o For the sixth form competition, students can choose to write about any topic or genre.

o For the other three age groups there are a range of titles to choose from.

o Please see titles and guidelines per category below.

• Entries must mention final word count at the end of each essay.

• Essays can be creative or academic. Themes for each category below

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