A CREATIVE Chester primary school pupil is the best in the North West when it comes to creative writing.

Grace Millington, a Year 6 pupil of Acresfield Primary School, has been named North West Regional Champion of the Pearson’s My Twist On A Tale writing competition, from a field of more than 3,000 entrants.

Children aged between four and 16 were tasked to create their own take on a traditional tale, folk story or fable, giving it a 21st century twist, writing a story up to 750 words in length.

Mike Dixon, headteacher at Acresfield, said: "Grace won with her imaginative take on The Gingerbread Man, which involved lots of animals at Chester Zoo trying to get a bite!

"She demonstrated a real flair for writing and we are delighted to hear of her win. The school places a lot of emphasis on developing creative writers and that has been reflected in the number of competitions the children have won in the last few months.

"A special mention must go to Sarah Wynne, who is the teaching assistant in our Year 6 Jaguar class.

"She promoted the competition with the children and encouraged them to enter. Without our staff taking the time to look for these opportunities, the children would not have a chance to shine."

Acresfield, near Chester Zoo, reopened to Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 on June 1.

Now Mr Dixon is looking forward to getting the whole school back as the country begins to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

He said: "The children are benefiting hugely from the normality of the school day.

"The first day back there were some nerves, but now we are into the routine and they all go home with big smiles on their faces.

"It has been a challenging time but I couldn't be prouder of all the staff and our children and parents, who have all worked so hard to continue learning at home.”

The primary joined North West Academies Trust (NWAT) last year and is benefiting from sharing ideas and best practice with schools such as Delamere Academy, near Northwich, and St Martin’s Academy, Chester, which are both also rated ‘outstanding’.

Steve Docking, CEO of NWAT, said: “Acresfield is a hugely successful school and continues to ensure, even in these challenging times, that it meets the needs of all its pupils.

“We feel very proud of what they, and all our other schools, have achieved.”