Pupils got into the spirit of World Book Day by bringing their favourite characters to life in the classroom.

Children at Northside Primary School, in Albert Street, North Finchley, went through the looking glass as they celebrated the joys of reading on Friday.

The school assembly was brimming with Robin Hoods and Cinderellas - but a Peter Pan and a Mad Hatter were judged the overall winners of the fancy dress competition.

Years 3, 4 and 5 also got an insight into the world of journalism when Times Series senior reporter Anna Slater gave a talk.

She spoke to around twenty children from each class about her career and how to write a story, as part of the school’s literacy week event.

Pupils discovered how varied journalism is, how reporters find news, and the places they go to carry out interviews.

The children's eyes widened in a question and answer session when Anna told them the most famous person she had met on the job was the Queen.

They were also astounded by the intricacies of shorthand, and Year 5 pupils were impressed when Anna wrote their names on the board using the special alphabet in less than three seconds.

Billy, who had dressed up as a witch, said: “Shorthand was really cool - it looks confusing but it is amazing too. It was very impressive and I liked seeing it a lot.”

Year 5 pupil Isobel said: “It was very interesting learning about what it is like to be a journalist and the different things you have to do each day.”