Jamie Oliver and One Show visit John Ray school in Braintree

TV personality Jamie Oliver, from Finchingfield, dropped into John Ray Infants and Junior School in Braintree.

The school was helping Jamie launch his new school catering awards.

Jamie spent time chatting with the pupils about school meals (Image: N/A)

Headteacher Lisa Christian said: “The whole visit was to help Jamie Oliver launch the new awards.

“It is a national thing similar to the teaching awards but for school catering and they will all be promoting brilliance in school dinners.

“As Jamie is from Essex, they chose a recommended school to launch from and that is how we got selected.”

Jamie pictured filming in the school's kitchen with the caterers (Image: N/A)

During the visit Jamie spoke to pupils and spent time with catering staff doing some cooking in the school kitchens.

Jamie was also joined by camera crews from the BBC's One Show which the school appeared on tonight.

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Miss Christian said: “They were filming all of lunchtime around the school.

“Then there were eight children from the infant school and eight from the juniors which got involved and they were filmed eating their favourite school lunch, which in this case was spaghetti bolognaise.

“They had a chat about the school dinners, healthy eating and our staff cooked with him after.

“It was an amazing experience from start to finish and everybody is so buzzing from the visit.

"They were all so excited meeting him and are still talking about it now.

Jamie Oliver pictured with catering staff at the school (Image: N/A)

“He was such a down to earth, lovely, passionate person and we really gained a lot from it all.

“We also did a pre-assembly looking at his work and getting the children excited beforehand, and they all behave amazingly on the day and were a real credit to us.

“We certainly won’t ever forget it. It has left an amazing feeling around the whole school.”