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Moving House

Story Writing

Foundation

30 minutes

CSSE

Kent

FSCE

The Prompt

“Write a story titled "Moving House".”

Planning Hints

4 tips to help you plan your response

Focus on the emotions — sadness at leaving, fear of the unknown, excitement about what's new.

Use the empty old house or the unfamiliar new house as a setting to explore.

Small details make it real: a mark on the wall, an echo in an empty room, a strange new bedroom.

End with acceptance or a moment of unexpected hope.

Starter Sentences

Suggested opening lines to get you started

“The last box was loaded. The house behind me was empty.”

“My new bedroom was exactly the same size as my old one. That was the only thing that was the same.”

“Mum said it would be an adventure. She said it with the same voice she used when taking me to the dentist.”

Key Techniques to Demonstrate

Techniques the examiner will be looking for in your response

Annotated Model Answer

A high-quality example response with techniques highlighted

Mum said it would be an adventure. She said it with the same voice she used when taking me to the dentist. The removal van had swallowed our life whole — beds, bookshelves, the kitchen table where I had carved my name in Year 3. Everything that had once made number 42 feel like home was now stacked in cardboard boxes, labelled in Mum's hurried handwriting: "Kitchen", "Aisha — Bedroom", "FRAGILE — do NOT drop." I walked through the empty house one last time. My footsteps echoed in rooms that had always been full of sound. In the living room, a pale rectangle on the wall showed where the clock had hung. In my bedroom, the glow-in-the-dark stars I had stuck to the ceiling years ago still clung on, stubborn little ghosts refusing to leave. The drive took two hours. I watched the familiar streets dissolve into motorway, then into countryside, then into a town I didn't recognise. Every mile felt like a thread being pulled, stretching, thinning, until finally it snapped. The new house smelled of fresh paint and someone else's cooking. My room was on the second floor, overlooking a garden that was mostly weeds. I sat on the floor — my bed wouldn't arrive until the next day — and felt the emptiness press in. Then I heard it. A knock on the wall. Three taps, a pause, then three more. I tapped back. A giggle came from the other side — high-pitched, delighted. "Hello!" said a muffled voice. "I'm Zara. I live next door. Are you staying?" I smiled for the first time that day. "Yes," I said. "I think I am."

Hover or tap the highlighted phrases to see the technique and explanation

Techniques Used in This Answer

Humour

Personification (x3)

Extended Metaphor

Sensory Detail

Dialogue

Ready to Write?

Practice this prompt under timed conditions, just like the real exam. You have 30 minutes.

Planning Templates

Suitable for story writing

Story Mountain

The classic 5-part narrative structure. Perfect for story writing prompts where you need a clear beginning, middle, and end.

5 steps|3-5 minutes

4-Paragraph Plan (CSSE Style)

A focused structure for shorter writing tasks (15-20 minutes). Ideal for CSSE where you only write 2 compulsory paragraphs, but this plan gives you 4 strong ones if time allows.

4 steps|2-3 minutes