IT’S no secret boys can sometimes be harder to get interested in creative writing than girls – especially when they get to secondary school age.

But for some male pupils a competitive edge can be what they need to get engaged with writing their own stories.

Gosford Hill School assistant headteacher John O’Regan has seen proof how competition can inspire boys, because dozens of his pupils are crafting stories for the Ox Tales competition.

And he said both boys and girls at the Kidlington school are benefiting from writing creative literature with the aim of winning the contest, which is run by the Oxford Mail in partnership with the National Literacy Trust (NLT).

He said: “It might sound like a cliche but the competitive element will help the boys – hopefully it will really motivate them.

“The fact it is not marked in the same way and there is no teacher telling them to go and do it again is good for them. We are also less concerned about spelling and more about creativity.

“We do already have a lot of author visits and every fortnight our year seven and year eight pupils go to the library for sessions; we do story writing and let them talk about their work.”

The winner of the competition will claim a £50 book voucher and £250 worth of books for their school.

They will also have their 500-word story published in the Oxford Mail.

There are also book vouchers for the runner-up, third place and 20 commended entries.

Mr O’Regan said the focus on writing about a place in Oxfordshire which is special to them gave both boys and girls a chance to express their feelings.

He said: “One area our pupils often focus on is what is happening in their own life. Again, it might be cliched but boys like to write about sport and heroes and girls are more likely to explore themes around friendship and values.

“Thinking about where they live is good because that is what the competition is about.

“We want them to take inspiration from Oxford and the great writers we have had from here.”

Entries will be judged by representatives from the NLT, the Oxford Mail and Oxfordshire County Council, along with author Frances Hardinge.

Pupils must be aged between 11 and 14 years old when they enter and be at a school taking part in the Oxfordshire Gaining Momentum programme.

Mr O’Regan said his pupils were busy preparing their entries.

He said: “We have started and they are working on it, but it will be a while before their entries are ready.

“We encourage them to rewrite and improve, and do it again so they can produce a really good final product.”