PUPILS at Burford School rounded off the academic year with a special medieval week, featuring theatre, archery and a jousting tournament.

Actors from the Globe Theatre in London staged workshops on Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, to help the lower school pupils prepare for rehearsals all week before performances based on the tales of The Wife of Bath, The Pardoner and The Knight.

And actor and author Robert Hardy visited the school during the week to share his expertise on one of the deadliest weapons used on medieval battlefields, the longbow.

Mr Hardy gave a talk about the history of the longbow and the men who used it and gave pupils the chance to test their strength trying to draw a bow.

As part of the week, the secondary school ran a short story competition for year six pupils at primary schools in its catchment area.

The children were asked to write a 500-word story entitled A Medieval Tale, with a link to medieval Oxfordshire.

There were 46 entries, which were judged by Burford School’s head of English, Ed Scates.

The winners were: Hugo Eayrs, of Wychwood Primary School; Alejandro Blaydon Santovety, of Bampton Primary School; and Mollie Cox, of Wychwood Primary School.

The climax of the week on the Friday was the performance of The Canterbury Tales and the jousting display on the school playing fields by the Knights of Arkley.

Naturally, Sir Richard of Burford won the contest, defeating a French knight.