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They would not have chosen each other.

Fortunately, Mrs Wren has chosen for them. Their different skills can solve almost anything — once their different personalities have broken it.

Maurice, a young boy with a brown afro and square glasses, carrying a planning satchel01

Planner, researcher, emergency over-thinker

Maurice

Plans for everything — especially things that cannot happen.

What they’re like

Maurice likes to know what happens next. A good plan, a useful fact and a properly packed satchel help. He cares about getting things right, even when everyone else would prefer him to stop explaining and start moving.

Brilliant at

Maurice knows the recipe, the rule and the extremely specific name for the thing everybody else calls ‘that bit’.

What gets them into trouble

When the facts stop matching the plan, his explanation gets longer and his voice gets faster.

Dom, a young boy with short dreadlocks, an orange hoodie and sturdy work boots02

Builder, climber, heroic narrator

Dom

Builds first. Improves the story afterwards.

What they’re like

Dom is happiest when something needs building, climbing or making up on the spot. He likes an audience nearly as much. His confidence can get the group moving; the tricky part is listening before he takes the next leap.

Brilliant at

Dom can see a way across, up or through before anyone else has finished saying ‘that looks unsafe’.

What gets them into trouble

Every achievement grows in the retelling — and every shortcut eventually asks for its receipt.

Izzy, a young girl with a copper-red ponytail and blue and plum skater clothes03

Redstone thinker, organiser, self-appointed official

Izzy

Has a system, a score and probably a title for it.

What they’re like

Izzy likes a system that works and a team that follows it. She wants her ideas to count, and she is very good at spotting what could go wrong. She is less delighted when somebody invents a shortcut through her carefully organised instructions.

Brilliant at

Izzy spots the logical fault, builds the reliable mechanism and remembers exactly who ignored rule 14b.

What gets them into trouble

She likes order so much that she occasionally tries to organise people who did not agree to be organised.

Flora, a young South Asian girl with round glasses and a yellow dress with blue trim04

Animal expert, farmer, quiet plan-changer

Flora

Notices the living thing everyone else forgot.

What they’re like

Flora prefers noticing to making a fuss. Tracks, animals and changes in the weather all tell her something useful. She likes doing things her own way, and a plan that ignores a living creature is a plan she is quite prepared to change.

Brilliant at

Flora reads tracks, weather, animals and awkward silences better than most people read instructions.

What gets them into trouble

If a creature needs help, she changes the plan first and mentions it later. Sometimes much later.

Maurice, Dom, Izzy and Flora standing together

The important bit

They do not have to be the same to be a team.

They just have to notice what the others can do. Preferably before sunset.

Meet them in Dead Late for Class! →