The Worst Witch
Each book covers one term at the school. There are two terms each year: the Winter term, from September to January, and the Summer term, from March to July. In "First Prize for the Worst Witch", the most recent book, Mildred is in the Summer term of her fourth year.
The author Jill Murphy began writing "The Worst Witch" at the age of 15, while still at school, and based many points of the stories on her own school experiences at Ursuline Convent in Wimbledon, England, with Singing becoming Chanting, Chemistry becoming Potions and so on. Recalling how she got the idea for the story, she said: "My two friends and I used to come home in our dark uniforms, looking very scruffy at the end of the day – my dark plaits sprouting tufts, with lost hair ribbons. My Mum used to say 'Look at you all. You look like the three witches!' and it gave me the idea for a witch's school – so that it was exactly like my school, but with a subtle touch of magic. All the characters are based on my school friends (and enemies) and teachers." Murphy concluded the first book at the age of 18, but failed to achieve a publishing deal, causing her to "put it in a drawer" and decide to "concentrate on other things instead." After working as a nanny and in a children’s home, Murphy had a phone call from a small publisher interested in the book. "The Worst Witch" was finally published in 1974, when Murphy was 24.
List of minor The Worst Witch characters
Agatha Cackle is Miss Cackle's rebellious identical twin sister. She first appears in the first book where Mildred spots her and her warlike coven plotting to turn the whole academy into frogs, only to be discovered by Mildred as they were preparing their spells the day of their attack; they had planned to attack after the Halloween display, when the school normally slept in until noon, but Mildred was running away from the school in a panic after she unintentionally caused an accident during a broomstick display. Lacking any other ideas or time to stop them, Mildred turned Agatha and the coven into snails and puts them in the boxes meant for the frog-pupils and frog-teachers, subsequently taking them up to the academy to show to Miss Cackle. Having convinced her teachers of her honesty, Mildred was absolved of any punishment for the broomstick incident, Agatha and her coven being turned back into humans only after conceding that they had been defeated according to the Witches' Code. Agatha reappears in the fifth book "The Worst Witch Saves the Day" where she comes into the school disguised as a new teacher Miss Granite with a high-pitched squeaky voice and a large mop of ginger curls and a frivolous appearance. She is later found out by Mildred when Mildred comes to collect Tabby from her. Luckily, Mildred and co. turn Agatha and her coven into snails themselves.