Minister's visit marks end of term

Great Yarmouth Charter Academy is well-known for its open door policy towards visitors - but it had an extra special visitor for the end of spring term.

School standards minister Nick Gibb visited the school's Salisbury Road site on Thursday and spent 90 minutes touring the school, speaking to pupils and staff and sitting in on lessons.

Mr Gibb was also treated to a number of poetry recitals, including of The Charge of the Light Brigade and Ozymandias, as part of a regular programme at the academy where the whole school learns a poem or speech from a play.

  The minister took a seat during a geography lesson, joining in as pupils learnt about population density and rural settlements, and also heard about the school's progress since becoming an academy - including a doubling of GCSE results last summer from 14% of pupils receiving 5+ at English and Maths to 29%.

The school has recently confirmed plans to expand, with a new classroom block, improved library and canteen, and future sixth form.

Great Yarmouth Charter Academy headmaster Barry Smith said: "We are always open to visitors and it was very special to have the school's minister here to mark the last day of the spring term."