SCHOOLCHILDREN across Weston and Worle went barmy for books as they celebrated a week-long festival of literature.

Coinciding with World Book Day on March 3, students from Broadoak Mathematics and Computing College, Priory Community School, Westhaven Community Special School, Worle Community School and Wyvern Community School took part in various events throughout the week.

Pupils learnt the ropes at reporting on February 28 at a workshop with BBC newsreader and reporter Sophie Long, while on March 1, pupils from each of the schools competed in a spelling bee challenge at Worle school.

The next day, pupils got competitive in the fourth annual inter-school poetry slam held at Priory, with pupils from Priory winning the prize after hours of competitive poetry, while students at Worle took part in an African theatre workshop.

On World Book Day playgroups, primary schools and secondary schools got into the mood by letting pupils and teachers dress up as their favourite literary characters, while pupils at Broadoak were treated to tales from West Country storyteller Jane Flood.

Staff at Waterstone’s in the Sovereign Shopping Centre gave away books to pupils from Walliscote Primary School in a special, Peter Pan-themed event, and Westhaven students learned how to write fiction from Tanya Landman, author of The Apache and The Goldsmith’s Daughter.

* Check out our online gallery of images from the festival of literature