PUPILS at a Dorset school have come together to write a book during lockdown.

While schools were closed to most pupils during the lockdown, youngsters found themselves split up from their friends. Children of key workers were still attending school while their class-mates were learning from home.

However, children at Sunninghill Prep School in Dorchester have found a way to work together while being apart. Pupils in Form 4 struck upon a great idea to keep everyone together during this difficult time and set out to write a book called 'Life in Lockdown'.

Each pupil contributed to the book, with many writing several chapters each. The final book is an impressive read, with 51 chapters and 80 pages in total. Chapters include diary entries, tips on staying healthy in lockdown, poems, information about the coronavirus, an A-Z of lockdown as well as personal lockdown thoughts, feelings and daily timetables.

Lecca Moss, head of music and drama and Form 4 teacher, said: "We embarked on this journey to try to bring the class together during lockdown and to help maintain a sense of community. Some children were feeling alone, anxious and isolated so we thought that having a class project would help. I also thought it would become a valuable ‘time capsule’ for the children to look back on in the future. We were living history in the making and we wanted to try and capture it."

The book has been published by Scholastic and features a lockdown photo of every child on the front cover. All pupils thoroughly enjoyed the process of creating the book and were delighted with the finished version.

Sunninghill headmaster John Thorpe said: “The book is a remarkable achievement by the whole of Form 4 and their teacher, Mrs Moss. It’s something that we will always have to remind ourselves of this difficult period. We have even been approached by Dorset County Museum who are collecting artefacts for a Covid-19 display.

"I could not be happier about the way our pupils, staff and parents have pulled together since lockdown started. Everyone has worked really hard to ensure that all Forms have been able to return to school and we have also extended the summer term by two weeks so that we can catch up and finish the academic year properly.”