TV star spends the day at Sussex nursery school to help boost positivity

Staff and children at Boundstone Nursery School dressed as pirates to greet Gemma Hunt, a presenter and author best known for the CBeebies show Swashbuckle.

They were delighted when she walked into the room dressed in her Swashbuckle costume, complete with blue vest and yellow bandana, and she soon had the children calling out like pirates.

But her main focus was to read to the children from her own themed storybooks, See! Let's Be A Good Friend and See! Let's Be ME!

Gemma, who has an eight-year-old daughter, explained the stories were about what it means to be a good friend, and about children's emotions, like jealousy.

She said: "The publishers say the books are for ages two to eight but I say they are from two to 86. They are for everyone. I have written them to be read out aloud, so it is nice to be able to share them with the children."

The visit was organised by Justine Pepper, a parent governor who has two children at the nursery school.

Justine said: "In order to create some positivity and joy for this amazing school, I managed to arrange for Gemma Hunt to come and read books to the children. It was a really exciting day.

"It is a celebration of the school. I have my children here and I wouldn't want them anywhere else. It is an amazing place.

"We were also given a stock of books by HarperCollins to give away to all the children. Recent statistics show that one million children in the UK do not own a book, so this is a really important event."

The nursery school, in Upper Boundstone Lane, Sompting, gave Gemma a tour, including the new baby room, which was opened in January.

She spoke with children of all ages and read to them in small groups throughout the day on Wednesday, April 30.