Literacy and Shakespeare

Celebrate the enduring power of Shakespeare with writing activities for pupils aged 7 to 11

In partnership with GO ALL IN for The National Year of Reading, we celebrated Shakespeare with an engaging collection of KS2 writing activities inspired by The Last Bard, Maz Evans’ lively and imaginative new novel. Pupils will step into the world of Will Davenant, a boy who inherits his grandfather’s Complete Works of Shakespeare and discovers he can bring Shakespeare’s characters to life.

What’s included?

• Four flexible writing activities that work brilliantly as stand‑alone lessons or can be developed into a longer writing sequence.
• An excerpt from Maz Evans’ The Last Bard - this excerpt directly inspires the activities and is included to support pupils’ understanding and creativity as they work through them.

These activities help children develop creative writing and inference skills while connecting with classic literature in a fun, accessible way.

Download the full resource and supporting excerpt at the bottom of this page.

Shakespeare celebration dates

What and when is Shakespeare Week?

Shakespeare Week is a national annual celebration giving children of primary-school age opportunities for enriching and enjoyable early experiences of Shakespeare.

In 2027, Shakespeare Week takes place from 15 to 21 March.

What and when is Shakespeare Day?

Shakespeare Day is celebrated on 23 April. Regarded as the anniversary of both his birth (in 1564) and his death (in 1616), this date is marked around the world, celebrating his creative works and reflecting on their enduring impact.

More ways to explore Shakespeare in your classroom

Whether you are marking Shakespeare Week or celebrating Shakespeare Day (or both!), we have some great ideas supporting you to explore Shakespeare’s creativity. This provides a wonderful chance to recognise the enduring influence of The Bard and bring his timeless ideas into your literacy lessons.

An additional Literacy and Shakespeare - A Hot Topic resource is available to download and offers a range of further ideas to enrich your teaching, including:

• Reading recommendations - Inspiring book choices for pupils aged 4 to 14, covering Early Years, KS1, KS2, and KS3/P1–S3.
• Oracy activities - Storytelling, debating and performance poetry
• Writing ideas - Creative writing prompts and modern retellings of Shakespeare’s works
• All activities are adaptable for different ages and timeframes, allowing teachers to tailor lessons to suit their pupils’ needs and your available teaching time.