CHILDREN at St Bartholomew’s CE Primary School cannot wait to put pen to paper to write — be it filing a newspaper report, penning a film script or writing a review.

Year Six children at the Westhoughton school are reporting on the visit to their school of Top Gear icon The Stig, while Year Five pupils are busy writing to apply to become ghost hunters and young film buffs are casting their critical eye over Star Wars.

Acting headteacher Mark Johns said: “There is a buzz around school.

“Each year group has a different topic for their writing for real project and they are enjoying it.

“Their confidence is increasing, especially in some of the quietest pupils.”

And it is not only the children at St Bartholomew’s who are budding writers — youngsters throughout Westhoughton are catching the writing bug too.

Schools in Westhoughton, as well as Johnson Fold Primary School, are taking part in a new project designed to help raise standards in literacy.

Schools were inspired to take part in the writing for real project following last year’s Bolton headteachers’ conference, where they heard about the scheme, which is run by the Professional Literacy Company.

The Westhoughton schools sent teachers to a training day to find out how writing for real would get pupils excited about writing.

The project got underway at the start of January with the arrival of The Stig in a Ferrari 458 Italia, courtesy of MP Motors in Westhoughton.

Now Year Six children are busy writing about The Stig’s visit to school.

Year Five children are becoming “Spoocs” — Bolton’s very own ghostbusters — which involves finding and reporting on the strange goings on in their town, while year four children are critically appreciating Star Wars.

Year three are enjoying the delights of chocolate and year two are working with a real life author, Maxine Spedding, who created Joshua and The Dopey Dragon.

And reception children have not only written a film, Cheeky Little Monsters, but also held its premiere, which can found on the school’s blogging site at blog.st-barts.bolton.sch.uk/reception Mr Johns said: “It is about getting the children’s imagination going and giving them something to hook their writing on to. Children are having to use a range of different writing styles, persuasive in applying to be a ‘spooc’ to writing for a newspaper. We are already seeing a difference.

“Year One children, for example, had written phrases and words like ‘exquisite sunsets’ and ‘ramshackle’. They were using the words in the right context.”

George Scott, aged 10, said: “I am looking forward to writing newspaper articles and using the video. We have just started the project but I am really enjoying it. What we are doing is difficult but fun.”

Amy Walsh, aged nine, said: “This is different and we are already planning our ideas. I am looking forward to writing a newspaper report.”