Last week, Countess Wear Primary School was buzzing with excitement as we celebrated World Book Day. It was wonderful to see so many children arriving at school dressed as characters from their favourite books.

From classic stories to modern favourites, the creativity and enthusiasm on display truly brought books to life and filled the school with a real love of reading. Seeing pupils proudly share their favourite characters and stories helped create a joyful atmosphere across the school and reminded us how powerful books can be in inspiring young readers.

A special highlight of the day was the announcement of our 500 Words Competition winners. The winning stories were shared and celebrated, showcasing the fantastic imagination, creativity and writing talent across the school. We are incredibly proud of all the children who took part and impressed us with their ideas and storytelling skills.

Author Visit Inspires Young Minds

As part of our World Book Day celebrations, we were delighted to welcome author and wildlife documentary filmmaker Justin Anderson to the school.

Justin inspired pupils by sharing stories from his books Super Swifts and Ready, Steady, Sloth, alongside fascinating insights from his real-life experiences filming wildlife around the world.

Through games, dressing up and interactive activities, Justin brought the books to life and helped children fully immerse themselves in the animals and adventures he writes about. He spoke passionately about what it is like to work as a wildlife documentary filmmaker, explaining the patience, curiosity and care needed to observe animals in their natural habitats, and how these experiences influence his writing.

The children were fascinated by his stories from the field and loved learning how a passion for nature can lead to exciting careers in both filmmaking and authorship, making the visit an engaging and memorable experience for everyone involved.

The day was a wonderful celebration of reading, storytelling and creativity, reminding us how books can inspire, excite and bring our school community together.