Thursday March 20th 2025
Dear Diary,
The sun was out in full force when I pulled into Leonard Stanley Primary School’s car park this morning and was greeted by Mrs Bullingham, who arranged today’s visit. But the pupils shone even more brightly than the sun today! My assembly seemed to go down well… with everyone eager to get their hands on free bookmarks and stickers, and so many pupils willing to answer questions or wanting to ask some of their own. The helpful Year 6 pupils then pulled tables out ready for the first workshop, for Years 3 & 4. In no time at all, the pupils in this group were sharing stories, raps, and poems etc. with their peers. I especially liked Connie’s and Ava’s diary entries about spooky teachers and Loxley’s witty story about a superhero with an embarrassing superpower. But it was Arlo who really impressed me with his ability to take on my advice, and keep adding to his story about an adorable monster until it was completed. Next came a session for Years 1 & 2. It was lovely to witness so many children reading their creations aloud in this group, too. But it was Daisy’s story about a girl who has seen fairies at the bottom of her garden that really stood out for me. Daisy’s story itself was super, and her delivery of it was so full of heart! The morning concluded with a slightly shorter session for the Reception pupils. And wow… these children were speedy workers! They drew some fantastic pictures of Uncle John, and were so neat when it came to tracing over sentences about him. After a busy lunch, during which I signed copies of WARNING: Magic Can Be Dangerous! for all those who had bought one (or wanted to purchase one), it was time for the final (slightly longer) workshop of the day, for Years 5 & 6. The amount of work that was produced during this session was phenomenal, with many pupils taking additional character sheets and writing a number of stories, poems, etc. I thought Raymond’s and Cody’s stories about headteachers who were hiding secrets were both brilliant. And I really loved Phoenix’s diary entries… one about a superhero with an embarrassing super power, and the other about yet another headteacher who was hiding a secret (that was definitely a popular character prompt today). In fact, there were so many wonderful pieces of work produced – many of which I was lucky enough to get photos of – so I’ll share them online soon for everyone to enjoy. For now, I’ll sign off, as I’ve another school visit tomorrow that I need to prepare for. But after a super day at Leonard Stanley Primary, my imagination is currently on overdrive, meaning I’ll struggle to sleep tonight, due to many new story ideas whizzing around in my head after all the inspiration that’s been flying around during today’s visit.
