Trinity School in Croydon is one of the most sought-after independent schools for boys in South London. The 11+ entrance exam is a significant hurdle, and while many parents drill their sons on comprehension and maths, they often underestimate the importance of the creative writing task. It’s the one area where your child can truly show their personality and stand out from the crowd.

At 11 Plus Essay, we specialise in preparing students for these high-stakes writing exams. This guide will give you the insider knowledge you need to help your son excel in the Trinity School 11+ writing test.

The Unique Trinity Writing Exam Format

Trinity’s writing exam differs from those of many other schools. It’s not a simple story or description from imagination. Here’s what makes it unique:

Passage-Related Prompts

The creative writing prompts are usually related to the themes in the reading passage that students have just analysed for their comprehension questions. This means your son needs to be able to do two things:

1. Identify the themes in the reading passage (e.g., bravery, friendship, loss, discovery).
2. Connect their writing to one of those themes in a creative and original way.

A Choice of Two Prompts

Students are typically given a choice between two prompts:

1. A Narrative or Reflective Prompt: This often asks students to write about a personal experience or a time they learned something important. For example, “Write about a time you learned something from an older person.”
2. A Pure Description Prompt: This asks students to describe a place or a scene, focusing on creating a vivid atmosphere. For example, “Describe a busy city scene.”

Expert Tip: The choice of prompt is a test in itself. Your son should choose the prompt that best plays to his strengths and allows him to connect to the passage’s themes most effectively.

How to Prepare for the Trinity Writing Test

1. Become a Theme Detective

When practising with reading passages, don’t just focus on comprehension questions. Ask your son: “What is the big idea here? What is the author trying to say about life?” This will help him develop the thematic awareness needed for the Trinity exam.

2. Master Both Prompt Types

For the Narrative or Reflective Prompt:

• Use the Before, Event and After structure: Show what life was like before the event, describe the event itself, and reflect on what changed after.
• Focus on the “so what?”: It’s not just about telling a story, it’s about showing what was learned from the experience.

For the Pure Description Prompt:

• Use the “camera shots” method: Start with a wide shot (the overall scene), move to a mid-shot (a specific part of the scene), and finish with a close-up (a tiny detail).
• Appeal to all five senses: What can you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch?
• Avoid telling a story: The goal is to paint a picture with words, not to create a plot.

3. The 5-Minute Plan is Your Secret Weapon

Before writing, your son should spend 5 minutes creating a quick plan. This will help him structure his ideas, stay on track, and avoid rambling. For a narrative, this could be a simple Before/Event/After mind map. For a description, it could be a list of sensory details for each “camera shot”.

The Trinity writing exam requires a unique set of skills that aren’t taught in most schools or tuition centres. That’s why we developed the Trinity School 11+ Writing Course.

What makes this course special?

• Theme-Focused Training: We teach students how to identify themes in a reading passage and creatively connect their writing to them.
• Dual-Prompt Preparation: Your son will learn the specific techniques for both narrative or reflective and pure descriptive writing.
• Personal Video Marking: Submit two writing tasks and get personal, line-by-line feedback from an expert who knows what Trinity examiners are looking for.

Give your son the specialised preparation he needs to walk into the Trinity exam with confidence.