I’m treated to some deafening applause before the bell rings.

‘OK, line up, Mrs French will take you out to the playground.’

They leap up and start pushing and shoving their way into a line and the teaching assistant leads them out.

‘And then there was peace,’ says Claudia as the last child leaves.

‘I don’t know how you do it.’

‘You get used to it.’ She puts the chairs we were sat on back by a nearby desk. ‘You were so good with the kids. Do you spend a lot of time around them?’

‘Me?’ I slip my handbag onto my shoulder. ‘Not really.’

‘You were a natural. You know, I’m a trustee for a literacy charity and we’re always looking out for people to help and I think you’d be perfect for it.’

‘A charity, right, I’m sure the company could sponsor you.’

‘Thanks, that’s kind, but what we’re desperate for are volunteers: people who will listen to the children while they read.

‘The charity’s called Big Little Readers. You might have seen it in the local news when it was launched last year?’ I shake my head. ‘Essentially, it’s run out of the library and volunteers go in pairs to people’s houses to read to kids who don’t get the same support as others do. Maybe the child’s parents are busy juggling multiple jobs, or having to care for the child’s medically ill siblings, or they just need additional help that the parents themselves can’t give. Every household has a different reason for needing the charity, but the volunteers are there with the same purpose: to be attentive and to help inspire the child to read.’

‘What a great idea,’ I say.

‘It is and it’s had amazing results.’

‘And you want me to volunteer? I think today was a bit of a fluke, to be honest. I don’t really know how to talk to kids.’

‘You could have fooled me earlier.’

She walks over to her desk and roots around in her drawer.

‘Here’s a leaflet with more information. Why don’t you have a read, and then if you’re interested’ – she scribbles on the back – ‘that’s my email address.’

She hands me the paper and I take it.

‘Um, thanks. I’ll think about it,’ I say to be polite, but knowing that today was a one-off.

She guides me back into the reception, where I find Layla leaving the head teacher’s office. We say our goodbyes to Claudia and head outside.

‘Well, how did it go?’ asks Layla. ‘Did the twins behave themselves?’

‘Yeah, it went well, and the twins were good.’

I decide not to tell her about the teacher comments Kiran made. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.