Pupils hear about the writer’s early years as a pupil

Westcountry author Katie Ward surprised pupils at Shute Primary School when she returned to speak to them about her experiences as a writer and her time as a pupil there.

She attended Shute Primary from the age of four and her talent for writing was later spotted by one of the teachers.

Katie said: “I was thrilled to be invited back. I have the fondest memories of my time at Shute. When I asked how many of the children wanted to be authors when they grew up, every hand went up so it’s clear I’ll have some competition in years to come.”

Katie’s new book, The Pretender, is a modern-day adaptation of the tale of the Prince and the Pauper, set in France.

Patrick Germscheid, head of Shute Primary said: “This was a wonderful opportunity for the children to speak to someone who has a long history with Shute School but also to hear about how Katie went about becoming a writer. The children were incredibly enthusiastic and asked a lot of questions.”