Wednesday October 23rd 2024
Dear Diary,
When I was asked whether I’d be able to visit Putnoe Primary School in Bedford, I wasn’t too sure how to respond, due to the six-hour round trip it would entail. But I eventually said yes, and crossed my fingers that I wouldn’t find the distance too tricky to travel. And I’m SO pleased I did! Putnoe Primary turned out to be the most perfect place for me to host my final school visit before half term. Their lovely librarian, Kate, had kindly arranged sunny weather for the day (as per my request), meaning my journey was uneventful, and I arrived in plenty of time for my morning assembly with Years 5 and 6. After that, it was straight into workshops, and I don’t think I’ve ever come across such large groups of children with so much respect for one another — and for me and their teachers. They were an absolute credit to themselves, their school, and their parents! There was plenty of excited chatter throughout each of the sessions. But the moment I had a further instruction to impart… or one of their peers was about to read their work aloud… total silence descended, and everyone listened attentively. I’m sure there’s some magic built into this school. It quite possibly stems from the library, which is a little slice of heaven. It’s the sort of library I imagined only existed in dreams, and it’s clearly a huge part of the reason there are so many avid readers at Putnoe Primary. Despite the fact that I should have felt tired after my long journey this morning, I felt full of energy all day, and the pupils’ exceptional behaviour made delivering my workshops effortless. Thanks to one of the teachers, the hard task of deciding who to award my certificates to was made very easy, too, when colour photocopies were swiftly produced. So, hopefully, everyone who attended the workshops will end up with one over the next few days. Kate very kindly arranged my visit and assisted me throughout the whole day. It was a real treat to have her by my side from start to finish. The pupils are extremely lucky to have such a kind, compassionate, and invested librarian. The staff members were so involved during each of the workshops. It was lovely to hear their comments about how well the sessions had been received. And every single pupil was phenomenal in every possible way. They should be so proud of not only the work they produced today, but also their exemplary behaviour and positive attitudes. I’ve left a copy of WARNING: Magic Can Be Dangerous! in Puntnoe Primary’s beautiful library. (No, not my giant book… I had to take that home with me for future school visits.) And the good news is that the headteacher there has agreed to have me back next year with WARNING: May Contain Dragons, and I can’t wait!!! It’s time to wind down a bit for half term now. But I’m so appreciative to all at Putnoe Primary for making my final visit this week so magical!