BOOK characters ranging from Harry Potter to wicked witches, fairies and pirates, turned up for lessons at Kennet Valley School on Monday.

It was the first day of the school's book week which marks World Book day today.

It was a fun way of returning to school after the half-term holiday for the pupils at the federated school that has its junior section at East Kennett and its infants' classes at Lockeridge.

Headteacher Andrew Hodder said he and his teaching colleagues were astounded at the variety of characters the pupils represented and the ingenuity of the costumes which had been made.

All the children joined in the excitement of the day showing off their costumes and talking about why they liked their particular character.

On Tuesday, the Trading Book Company set up a book fair at the school which will be running all week, giving the opportunity for the pupils to buy children's books.

Today, the children's writer and illustrator, Mike Dickinson, from Bradford on Avon, will be spending the day working with the children at both the lower and upper schools.

Next Tuesday, the school will be holding its annual switch day designed to get the pupils at the two schools to know each other better.

Half the children from the lower school will spend the day with their older peers at East Kennett.

Half of the pupils at the upper school will spend the day at Lockeridge with the infants' classes.