Undreamed Nightmares: Year 6s venture into the unlit corners

This term, we had the absolute joy of partnering with a group of Year 6 students at Beaminster St Mary’s School for an unforgettable journey into the dark woods...

Over the course of six weeks, we worked side-by-side with these eager young authors — igniting ideas, twisting plots, deepening characters, and exploring worlds that teetered between the wondrous and the strange. The result? A dazzling short story anthology: Undreamed Nightmares, a collection of epic tales and weird fiction that hums with humour, chills and pure narrative spark.

Assisted, as ever by our marvellous Mentors; Lizzie, David, Ambs, Nick, Valerie and Diana, the students wrote drafted and crafted perfect nuggets of imagination. This time around though, we challenged the pupils to edit, re-work and hone their pieces with the assistance of some professional editors. We are very grateful to Jess Morency, Steven Loveridge, Ged Duncan and Lu Orza for giving up their time and expertise to work one to one with these young authors. The results are wonderful min-dramas, perfect for snuggling up with on a winters day.

A huge thanks to Miss Woodrow, Mr Marklew. Miss Clarke and all the staff at Beaminster St Mary’s who made us feel so welcome and embraced this project wholeheartedly.