PUPILS at a York school have taken part in a competition to write their own history books about famous people from the past.

Kate Fox, a history teacher at Wigginton Primary School, said she was inspired to organise the ‘Faces from the Past’ contest after a Year 6 pupil told her she was going to write her own history book.

“I started to wonder which people they would be interested in,” she said.

She said about 30 pupils of all ages took part by researching and writing their own books in their own time, about characters ranging from Mary Queen of Scots and Billy Bremner to Hercules and Florence Nightingale.

“They were extremely well researched and written,” she said.

The school provided books as prizes and the York visitor attractions,York’s Chocolate Story and Jorvik DIG, supported the contest by also offering family passes as prizes.

The contest was won by Neve, with a book about Beatrix Potter, the author of the Peter Rabbit stories, and she was presented with a £10 book token and a family pass to York’s Chocolate Story.

In second place was Daniel, with a book about the first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong, and Daniel won a history book and a family pass to Jorvik DIG.

Chloe, who came third with a book about nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale, won a history book.

Mrs Fox said the books would now go on display at the school, which ‘aims to develop open and inquiring minds and above all a love of learning that will last a lifetime,’ and which believes ‘every child is entitled to the very best education that we can provide.’