IT'S been like rehearsing for a West End play.

Emily had to learn a line to speak in her class's school assembly.

She and her classmates have been learning robotic dancing and then had to make their own robot heads.

Emily's loved it.

Then a note arrived home in her homework book: each child had his or her own line to learn which was to be spoken during assembly.

So for the past week Louise and I have been coaching her.

I'm always astounded by the speed with which she absorbs and retains new information. She hears a song lyric once or twice and sings it back verbatim immediately, while Louise and I stutter, clutching at half-remembered phrases.

So it was not long before Emily was able to recite her line perfectly.

The line was: "When we had decided on the materials we were using, we were ready to start making our robot heads."

Like Cato leaping out of a wardrobe to karate-chop the unsuspecting Inspector Clouseau, we would say 'what's your line?' when Emily least expected it.

But unlike the dopey French detective, Emily never let us down once.

I have to admit to having butterflies in my tummy as I kissed Emily goodbye as she set off for school.

I needn't have worried, apparently she and all the other children were brilliant.