THE Children's Laureate opened a Potters Bar school's new learning centre in the back of a double-decker bus last week.

The Wroxham School bought their Story Bus on eBay for £2,800 and fully refurbished it with the help of artists, pupils and staff.

Internationally acclaimed author and illustrator Anthony Browne officially opened the story bus, which is secured in the school's playground, last Monday.

Deputy Headteacher, Roger Billing, was the “driving force” behind the idea to install the bus, having found it on eBay, and he said: “We had a discussion and made rough plans about trying to get a different space for the kids.

“We did consider a train carriage, but that would have been very heavy and more expensive.

“The bus has done exactly what we wanted of it, a space for the kids to be creatively. It's amazing, they're so excited.”

Mr Billing joked he would now use the upstairs of the bus as his office.

Children from the school, in Wroxham Gardens, helped to install a robot to drive the bus, and a graffiti artist brought the children's idea for the outside of the bus to life. The design, from a year four pupil, was chosen by the entire school.

Headteacher, Alison Peacock, said: “We have worked with the whole community to refurbish the bus as a special story and meeting space on our playground.

“The children look forward to using the learning space everyday, and I hope it will inspire the children to read for pleasure.”

At the opening, Ashley Price, a pupil in year five, was also signing copies of his recently published book 'The Amazing Adventures of Mr Wellington Boot'.

He wrote the series of books as part of a school project, and the stories were so well loved by fellow pupils that the school decided to get the adventure series in print.

Mr Browne said the book was “a wonderful example of the amazing creativity that all children possess”.