Cinderella actress Lily James and ex-Doctor Who Matt Smith drop into primary school

Primary school leavers were given a fairytale send-off by Cinderella star Lily James and former Doctor Who Matt Smith today.

The Hollywood actress and her boyfriend, who live in nearby Dartmouth Park, were guests of honour at Brecknock Primary School’s end-of-term assembly for Year 6 pupils starting secondary school in September.

To the children’s delight, Ms James brought with her the sparkly £2,995 Jimmy Choo heels she wore to the premiere of Kenneth Branagh’s 2015 live-action Cinderella.

In a speech, she told pupils to “ work hard and never give up” before congratulating each leaver individually, handing them a book and certificate.

Ms James and Mr Smith then watched with broad smiles as pupils performed Bob Marley’s ‘Don’t Worry About a Thing’ and ‘When I Grow Up’ from the West End musical version of Roald Dahl’s Matilda.

She told the Gazette: “I still feel like a big kid so it’s strange to be here talking about following your dreams.

“When you take on a role like Cinderella, that comes with a responsibility to be a good role model for young people, and I really embrace that responsibility.”

After the ceremony, two Year 5 pupils, Charlotte Shaw, and Ivy Nicholls, both 9, subjected Ms James to a gruelling interview about life as an actress, her favourite director to work with, and how her life has changed since the release of blockbuster Cinderella.

The couple visited the school, on the border of Camden and Islington in Tufnell Park, as Ms James’ cousin, David Simmons, is a governor there.