CELEBRITIES turned up to be interviewed at a village school – but the pets stole the show.

The interview day was held at Guilden Sutton Church of England Controlled Primary where Year 5 is doing a speaking and listening project.

Project leader David Mitchell said: “To add interest and motivation it was suggested to the children they might invite some ‘local celebrities’ into school on whom they could try out their interview skills.”

The youngsters persuaded 15 adults to turn up to talk about their jobs, from a children’s author and a TV presenter to sportsmen and a veterinary nurse.

The nine to 11-year-olds were broken up into small groups and moved around the school where each celebrity had been allocated a quiet corner.

The children had already done some work on questioning techniques to draw out the visitors’ interesting experiences and expertise.

To start the ball rolling, most had brought along an intriguing object to help awaken the eager interviewees’ curiosity. The stars, inevitably, were a couple of inquisitive white rats and an adorable dog.

The children were also able to practice their social skills, welcoming the celebrity to whom they had written and showing them into the library for a delicious lunch before the questioning began.

At the end of the afternoon, headteacher Kathy Crowe thanked everyone who had taken part.

“It is something the children could remember for the rest of their lives,” she said.

Chronicle journalist David Norbury, who took part, said: “The youngsters were absolutely full of questions for everyone.”