Story-telling at a Saffron Walden school will be ­revolutionised when a ‘tree’ is erected as part of a dramatic transformation of the library.

When pupils at Dame Bradbury’s School return from the summer holidays they will be greeted by a new library which is being ­relocated and made into an exciting space with a ‘Tree of Knowledge’ centrepiece at its heart.

This tree structure will include a ‘trunk’, providing a space for children to climb into and curl up with a good book, ‘roots’ as seating for formal story-telling, and ‘branches’ spread out to the ceiling to an acoustic canopy which can support curated artefacts.

The tree concept was inspired by an existing, smaller tree that has been present in the current school library for a number of years.

The independent school’s reception area and early-years classrooms are also being renovated and will open in September with the aim of providing “fresh, vibrant spaces” for children to enjoy.

Principal Tricia Kelleher, of the Stephen Perse Foundation which manages Dame Bradbury’s, said: “Libraries in a digital age are about so much more than the storage of books.

“The new library at Dame Bradbury’s is a truly inspirational space for the children to explore the world of their imagination and natural curiosity.”