My Style: Niina Makin

Occupation: Primary-school teacher
Age: 24
Personal style: Miss Congenialty

James Sherwood: This page is no stranger to drama queens, fashion queens and the downright bizarre – so you appear as a breath of very fresh air. For once we can talk about clothes that don't shriek narcissism, affectation or a desperate need to be adored. Tell me about the world of primary-school teaching. It is virgin territory to me.

Niina Makin: I teach a class of five- and six-year-olds so the question "Why, Miss?" is not unfamiliar to me. It's a lovely age to teach because the children are still eager to learn and I get given presents and drawings.

JS: Do you have to teach every subject?

NM: Yes I do, which can mean cramming the evening before. A lot of teachers don't like teaching music, for example, as it's hard to get away with, but I took a classical music degree – singing and the piano – so I enjoy music lessons.

JS: You can sing, play the piano and look like a young Darcey Bussell. You could have been a performer.

NM: In a way I do perform every day at school. I try to be as hands-on and silly as possible; learning phonetics by playing pirate games and that sort of thing.

JS: So is the Liberty print-style blouse typical primary-school attire?

NM: This is quite new so I'll wait a little while until I wear it for school, because you can guarantee that a little hand with a paintbrush or pen will mark it. Similarly, I usually wear my hair up at school to avoid sticky little fingers tugging at it. I like to dress relatively smart – no jeans, for example – and my one indulgence is wearing dangly earrings such as these marcasite ones I bought in Cyprus about five years ago.

JS: I suppose stilettos are out of the question?

NM: Yes and because I get up so early, I don't tend to wear make-up either.

JS: You don't need to wear make-up. I rather think you're the Audrey Hepburn of the primary-education system.

Get the head of the class look

Cavalry boots, £245, www.toast.co.uk

Jeans, £24.99, www.uniqlo.com

Leather over-the-shoulder bag, £45, www.asos.com