A RAMSBOTTOM writer has launched his novel revealing the everyday struggles of a high school teacher.

Paul Jenkins held an official launch of “Requires Improvement” at Lolo’s Vegan Restaurant in Ramsbottom on Friday, May 6.

The former head of drama at a Blackburn secondary school has spent the last year working nationally as an actor, touring the country delivering drama and writing workshops across the country.

With his memories as a teacher still fresh in his mind, Paul, of Holcombe Brook, documented his experiences of years working in a class room in his new novel.

The self-published project, which follows the trials and tribulations of drama teacher Jim Tovey, was funded through a nationwide campaign and is the culmination of more than a year’s work.

Father-of-two Paul said: “It started as a bit of fun.

“I wanted to share some of my stories with other colleagues in a way they would find entertaining and could relate to.

“After a few weeks of posting Jim’s adventures online it was clear from the number of hits we were getting that people wanted more, so I turned my attention to making the blog a more detailed story instead.”

The book itself follows the life of drama teacher Jim, whose experiences are not a million miles from the reality experienced by the author himself.

The story drops in on Jim's lessons and class assemblies while also following his struggle to cope with the pressures of schools shows, reports and even the odd sex education lesson.

Paul, who has written classroom resources for BBC Comedy, added: "It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster. From posting a few short stories online to having a book with your name on sitting on the bookshelf in just over a year is quite a jump.”