John Leggott College childcare students sitting in a primary school classroom reading their original Christmas stories aloud to a group of enthusiastic Reception children at Messingham Primary School.

Childcare Students Bring Christmas Stories to Life

Some of the most rewarding learning experiences happen when students step outside the classroom and discover that their work genuinely matters to someone else. For a group of childcare students at John Leggott College, a recent visit to Messingham Primary School was exactly that kind of moment.

Students studying on the Early Years and Childcare course at JLC had been working on an imaginative writing project with a very specific and purposeful brief: to write original Christmas stories suitable for Early Years children. The task required them to think carefully about their audience, choosing vocabulary, characters and storylines that would capture the imagination of very young readers and hold their attention from the first page to the last.

It is precisely the kind of task that sits at the heart of a good childcare and early years education: understanding how children develop, what engages them, and how to communicate with them in a way that is age-appropriate, stimulating and fun.

From College Classroom to Primary School

Having written and refined their stories, the Year 2 students took the project one step further. They visited Messingham Primary School to read their work aloud to the Reception children, bringing their stories to life in front of a live audience for the very first time.

Reading your own creative work to an audience of any age takes confidence. Reading it to a room full of enthusiastic four and five year olds takes something extra: warmth, expressiveness, the ability to hold attention and a genuine enjoyment of the moment. By all accounts, the JLC students had all of that in abundance.

For students on a childcare course, this kind of direct experience with young children is invaluable. It is one thing to study child development in a classroom. It is another thing entirely to stand in front of a group of Reception pupils, hold their attention and leave them genuinely excited about a story you wrote yourself.

The Reception children were a wonderfully willing and enthusiastic audience, and the students rose to the occasion brilliantly.

And the Winner Is...

After all the stories had been read, the Reception children were given the chance to vote for their favourite. This was democracy in its most joyful form, with young children deciding which story had captured their hearts the most.

The winning authors were Kayleigh and Fliss, whose story The Christmas Pants Disaster clearly struck exactly the right note with its young audience. The title alone tells you everything you need to know: this is a story with humour and imagination as you can guess from the story title!

Congratulations to both of them. Their enthusiasm, creativity and confidence in front of the children were a real credit to themselves and to the college.

What Happens Next

The story does not end there, and neither does the collaboration. The Reception children at Messingham Primary School will now take part in a competition to design the front cover for The Christmas Pants Disaster, giving them their own creative stake in the finished book.

When the winning cover design is chosen, the story will be complete: a finished piece of work with a real author, a real illustrator and a real audience of young readers who helped bring it into the world.

It is a lovely idea, and a reminder that the best creative projects are often the ones that involve more than one person's imagination.

Why Real-World Experience Matters in Childcare Education

At sixth form, it can sometimes feel as though education is entirely focused on the next step: the qualification, the university application, the personal statement. All of those things matter enormously, and students at JLC work hard to achieve strong academic and vocational outcomes.

But for students on a childcare and early years course, real-world experience is not just a bonus. It is essential. Understanding how to engage young children, how to communicate at their level, how to plan and deliver activities that are both educational and enjoyable: these are the skills that will define a career in early years education, teaching or childcare.

Projects like this one develop exactly those skills in a way that no textbook exercise can replicate. The students who visited Messingham Primary School did not just read a story. They planned for their audience, adapted in the moment, responded to the children in front of them and delivered something genuinely memorable.

That is what good early years practice looks like, and it is exactly what the childcare course at JLC is designed to develop.

A Thank You to Messingham Primary School

A warm thank you goes to everyone at Messingham Primary School for welcoming the JLC students so warmly and for giving the Reception children such an active role in the project. The enthusiasm of the children made the whole experience genuinely special, and the partnership between the two settings is a wonderful example of what can happen when local education providers work together.

We cannot wait to see the front cover designs, and we look forward to seeing The Christmas Pants Disaster in its finished form very soon.

Interested in Childcare and Early Years at JLC?

If this project has sparked an interest in working with young children or pursuing a career in early years education, childcare or teaching, John Leggott College offers a dedicated course designed to give you the knowledge, skills and real-world experience you need.

Our Early Years and Childcare students benefit from a combination of classroom learning and practical placements, giving them a genuine understanding of child development, safeguarding, communication and play-based learning.

To find out more about studying Childcare and Early Years at JLC, visit our courses page.

To learn more about life at John Leggott College and everything the college has to offer, visit: leggott.ac.uk

FAQ Section

What is the Early Years and Childcare course at John Leggott College?

The Early Years and Childcare course at JLC combines classroom learning with practical placements, giving students the skills and experience they need to work with young children.

What was the Christmas story writing project?

Childcare students wrote original Christmas stories aimed at Early Years children. The Year 2 students then visited Messingham Primary School to read their stories aloud to Reception pupils, who voted for their favourite.

Which story won the vote?

The winning story was The Christmas Pants Disaster, written by Kayleigh and Fliss. The Reception children voted it their favourite after hearing all the stories read aloud.

How does real-world experience support childcare students at sixth form?

Practical experience with young children is central to a good childcare education. Visiting a primary school, engaging with Reception children and delivering a real activity develops the communication, planning and child development skills that are essential for a career in early years education.

How do I find out more about John Leggott College?Visit leggott.ac.uk to explore courses, read about student support and discover everything that life at JLC has to offer.