This paper discusses a research project undertaken to examine teachers' perceptions of creative writing in the senior English curriculum. It was a case study undertaken in a state high school in Melbourne under the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE). The project investigated the challenges facing English teachers as they prepare students to write creatively in VCE, the impact of high-stakes testing on creative writing, and the impact of teachers' epistemological beliefs about writing on their teaching of creative writing. One key finding was the way in which distinctions are made between writing taught at the senior levels and conceptions of creative writing in the junior years of high school. The study also revealed the paradox that teachers find it difficult to facilitate good writing development within high-stakes assessment environments.