Thursday November 21st 2024

Dear Diary,

I took WARNING: Magic Can Be Dangerous! all the way to Hollywood this morning. (Hollywood in Worcestershire, that is!) Today’s visit was to Coppice Primary, a super school with phenomenal pupils… all 680 of them!!! They all behaved so beautifully in and around the school throughout the day, and were a real pleasure to spend time with. I started the day with an assembly for the whole of KS2. There was a fantastic flutter of excitement as they filed into the hall, which continued throughout my assembly. But they listened attentively when I read a couple of chapters from my book, then eagerly asked and answered questions before getting heartily involved in ‘Name That Character’. It was then time for workshops. With 90 pupils in each Year Group — and limited turn-around time — these sessions were loud and nonstop! But all of the pupils in each of the workshops really impressed me with the quality of their creative writing and their artwork. They worked at such speed, too, and were so dedicated to the tasks at hand. Some of the pupils got to read aloud, and we were treated to a brilliant rap, a couple of lovely poems, and a plethora of silly stories. It’s such a shame there wasn’t enough time for more of the children to read their work aloud, as so many of them wanted to. Fortunately, I got to hear lots of their creations as I worked my way as fast as I could around the big groups. I was really impressed by William, for reading me some of his wonderful story about a ghost called Tom, when he doesn’t normally like to read aloud. But the absolute standout story of the day, for me, was Ellie’s story about a top-secret agent. I know Ellie’s planning on becoming a teacher when she’s older, but I have a feeling she’ll have at least a book or two published somewhere along the line, and I’ll definitely be looking out for them in the future! From the moment she started reading aloud, her story had me hooked… and quaking in my boots! She’s a very talented storyteller indeed. Rob organised the day brilliantly, and was such a great help from the moment I arrived until the moment I left! The headteacher and all the staff gave me a warm welcome and were incredibly helpful throughout the day. And the pupils of Coppice threw themselves into all the activities, asked some fantastic questions, and made this visit one that I’ll always remember. I had so much fun during my visit, and it was lovely to hear that I’m always welcome at Coppice!