EXAM time came alive for students at Debden Park High School when a theatre company was invited in to help their studying.

Year 10 students at the Loughton school studying poetry for their mock exams were given a helping hand by the BAC PAC Theatre Company who performed the pieces for them.

There was also a chance for pupils to take part in a workshop exploring the themes and characters present in the poems.

School Artistic director Seb Ventura said: “It's better as a live piece of theatre than a bit of text on a page. The poems are about strong feelings and the characters and it helped them to see why they were like that.

“We got some really good comments from the kids. It helped them to see the characters from the poems acting in front of them and to understand their feelings.”