Conditions and Regulations

• Teacher Briefing Session: Schools interested in participating in the competition are strongly encouraged to send a teacher to the briefing session for the Once Upon A Book Storytelling Competition. 

• Super Readers Video entries:  

  • There is no limit to the number of video entries submitted by each school.  
  • Only one video entry per individual / pair is permitted. 
  • Entries can feature either fiction or non-fiction books. 
  • Entries can be based on the same or different books. 
  • Entries can be presented individually or in pairs. 

• Live Unplugged Video Entries:  

  • The maximum number of video entries per school is two, 
    e.g. two videos in KS1, OR one video in KS1 and one video in KS2. 
  • Only one video entry per individual / pair is permitted. 
  • Entries can feature either fiction or non-fiction books. 
  • Entries can be presented individually or in pairs. 

• The video entries must be in MP4 or AVI format and saved in an online shared drive, e.g. Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox. Ensure that the access rights are set to “anyone with the link” and that the links are accessible until 28 August 2026 (Friday).  
• For the Live Unplugged Category, the title of each video file must contain the school name followed by the title of the book, e.g. ABC School_Little Red Riding Hood.   
• For the Super Readers Category, the links to each video file will be collected in the Super Readers spreadsheet, which will then be uploaded to the Super Readers video submission form. Refer to the Super Readers Checklist for Video Submission in Downloadable Documents on the NET Scheme e-Platform for more details. 
• The NET Section reserves the right to disqualify a video entry without prior notification to schools should the entry be inaccessible via the provided link.  
• Permission from parents/guardians for the use of images must be obtained by schools. The soft copy of the Use of Images Permission form template is available in Downloadable Documents on the NET Scheme e-Platform. Schools can use the template as is or copy the clause from the template to an e-Class parents’ letter template to facilitate collection. 
• Students must begin their performance by introducing themselves and stating the title and author of the book that they are sharing. 
• Students must retell the story or a part of the story using a range of storytelling techniques. Refer to the Once Upon A Book Storytelling Showcase videos (See Point 8 below for more details). 
• The time allowed for performances will vary according to the division. Please refer to the tables in Point 3 (Description of the Competition). 
• Students may choose to wear their school uniform, comfortable clothing, or costumes in the video.  
• The use of props is permitted.  
• In the Live Unplugged event, the following items will be provided: two whiteboards with markers and magnets, an easel, two long tables and two chairs.  
• Students are encouraged to memorise their lines, but they may use note cards while presenting.  
• Filming in front of a plain, solid surface is recommended. If filming is done in front of the blackboard, make sure the board is clean. Students may write the book title, create a simple drawing, or hang a hand-drawn poster behind them. 
• When filming the video, the camera should be in a fixed position for the duration of the video-recording.  
• Zooming and panning are not permitted.  
• The student(s) should be visible from the waist up (i.e. a medium shot). 
• The room should be well lit. 
• The sound must be audible.  
• Students may use sound effects during the performance. Sound effects may be produced by sound Foley (using the voice, body or various objects) or digitally pre-recorded. 
• To avoid using copyright-protected images, the covers of published books must not be shown in the video. If students would like to show the book cover, they are encouraged to create the cover by hand. Alternatively, they may use an AI-generated image or a copyright-friendly image available through the Creative Commons (See: https://creativecommons.org/) as long as they abide by the licensing agreements.
• To avoid using copyright-protected music or sound effects, students are encouraged to create original music/sound effects. Alternatively, they may use AI-generated music/sound effects or copyright-friendly music/sound effects available through the Creative Commons (See: https://creativecommons.org/) as long as they abide by the licensing agreements.  
• Video editing should be minimal. The addition of special effects (e.g. green screen backgrounds, animations, transitions) or sound effects is not permitted in post-production editing. 

• In each division of the competition (KS1-KS4), 10-12 entries will be selected and invited to the OUB Live Unplugged event. 
• The Live Unplugged performance must be based on the video entry submitted. 
• Students are encouraged to memorise their lines, but they may use note cards while presenting.   
• Students may wear their school uniform or comfortable clothing. Time will be allocated for a change into costumes if needed.  
• Students may use props during their performance. However, multimedia resources (e.g. projection of presentation slides) will not be permitted.  
• The following items will be provided: two whiteboards with markers and magnets, an easel, two long tables and two chairs. 
• The time allowed for performances will vary according to the division. Please refer to the tables in Point 3 (Description of the Competition). 
• Performers will have one minute for set up and one minute for breakdown before and after their performance. 
• Students and teachers are expected to show respect during the performances. Mobile phones must be set on silent mode before the start of the event. 
• Taking photos or videos is permitted but teachers may only take photos or videos of their own students. 
• The decision of the judging panel will be considered final, and no correspondence will be entered into regarding adjudication. 

The judging panels will include representatives from the EDB, English teachers, and other professionals in the community with experience in storytelling or public speaking.

Student performances will be assessed on the criteria below: