Once upon a time Blackawton Primary School welcomed a local children’s author!

++ School children hear about the life of miners ++

Blackawton Primary School, part of Education South West, welcomed local children’s author Jennifer Davy to the school this week for a storytelling event.

Jennifer, author of ‘Chloe and The Bright Idea’ which will be published next month, visited pupils to talk about her book.  A delightful mixture of fact and fiction, ‘Chloe and the Bright Idea’ is the first in the Chloe Tales Series.  Chloe and Humphry need some fresh air, so they decide to go for a walk to the beach. The winds and wild weather mean they do get plenty of fresh air - and much more besides!

The lovely labradoodle ends up helping Sir Humphry Davy, the world-famous scientist, to invent the Miner’s Safety Lamp. Together, they make history and manage a daring rescue mission on the way.

Jennifer’s passion for the subject and her ability to bring history to life left a lasting impression on everyone in attendance.  The way she connected the significance of miners' lamps to broader themes of perseverance and innovation was truly inspiring.  

The Blackawton pupils gained a deeper appreciation for this important piece of history, and many have expressed a newfound interest in learning more about the lives of miners and the challenges they faced.

The school hopes to welcome Jennifer back again in the future.

Liam Fielding, Headteacher at Blackawton Primary School said:

“I am so grateful to Jennifer for taking the time to come and see the children.  Her presentation was incredibly engaging and it was a delight to see our pupils captivated by the history and stories she shared.”

“Chloe and the Bright Idea will undoubtedly become a cherished resource in our library, sparking curiosity and discussion for years to come.”

Matthew Shanks, CEO of Education South West said:

“I was delighted to hear that Jennifer was able to come along and speak to the children at Blackawton about her upcoming book.  Not only were they lucky to have a sneak preview of ‘Chloe and The Bright Idea’, they clearly learned a lot of interesting historical facts too!”  

More information:

• Blackawton Primary School was rated Good by Ofsted in 2023.

• Inspectors noted that pupils at Blackawton Primary School are happy, safe and proud of their school.

• Education South West is a trust of nine primary schools, four secondary schools, one all through school and a University Technical College all based in Devon. 

• Education South West is focused on creating a culture which supports and challenges all whilst also working with those in and outside their community of schools to improve all.  

• All Education South West schools have UNICEF Rights Respecting accreditation, which recognises their commitment to creating safe and inspiring places to learn, where children are respected, their talents are nurtured and they are able to thrive.