THE Hermitage School in St Johns had a busy week with a visit by an Olympic silver medallist and a celebration of the writer Roald Dahl when pupils were invited to dress up as one of his characters,

Mark was a big hit with the pupils who were fascinated by his medals and asked lots of questions about his experiences as an athlete.   The Be the Best programme involves a vast range of activities and projects aimed at encouraging the pupils to excel in all sorts of areas, including sport, art and academics.

Headteacher Kerry Knight said: “At The Hermitage School, we were eager to undertake the Be the Best you can Be! Programme. The inspiration offered by high achievers in all fields including Olympians and Paralympians who strive to achieve their dreams, is incredibly powerful and can really reach out and engage our young people.

There was more excitement at the school when pupils were invited to dress up as their favourite Roald Dahl character for a special celebration on the day the author would have turned 100.

The school places a big emphasis on literacy and the Roald Dahl Day was designed as a fun way of encouraging the children to read.