Ed Sheeran gave the students and staff a real shock (Picture: Thomas MIlls High School/East Anglia News Service)
Imagine just going about your day at school, probably not wanting to be there, and Ed Sheeran walks through the door.
Well, a bunch of students at Thomas Mills High School in Framlingham, Suffolk actually lived that reality, as the singer surprised them during an awards ceremony.
Popping up out of the blue in the town where he grew up, Ed couldn’t have been more casual about the whole thing in his jeans and t-shirt, but it’s unlikely the pupils will forget it in a hurry.
The Bad Habits hitmaker, 31, rocked up on Thursday night at the annual event which recognises ‘commitment to learning’, delivering an inspirational speech before handing out certificates.
‘Do what you love doing and work hard at school because it gives you such good routines for the future,’ he told the youngsters.
Ed – who now lives on a rambling estate in a village a few miles away from the school – was praised by the headteacher, who hailed his visit ‘so special.’
The award-winning star was hand to give students some awards of their own (Picture: Thomas MIlls High School/East Anglia News Service)
Philip Hurst said: ‘We were delighted that Ed was able to join our Awards Evening and take time out from his busy schedule.
‘He was a great guest with a genuine fondness for the school and what it seeks to achieve.’
The head added that, naturally, the staff and students were all ‘a little bit starstruck’ due to Ed’s fame, but he is so ‘ordinary’ and quickly ‘put people at ease.’
Ed gave an inspirational speech as he encouraged pupils to work hard (Picture: Thomas MIlls High School/East Anglia News Service)
‘He is a great role model for our students, and his speech encouraged them to follow a career with what they love doing, whatever field that is.’
Assistant headteacher Adam Chittock also described Ed’s visit as something he just ‘wanted to do’, as he was also given a tour and met some of his past teachers.
‘It’s just like any student coming back to his old school, he loved seeing his old teachers and familiar faces,’ Adam added. ‘It’s just that this former student is an internationally renowned music star.’
Ed recently shared that he was ‘signing off’ for the year and would see his fans again in 2023 (Picture: Joseph Okpako/WireImage)
Once their shock had worn off, the pupils couldn’t speak highly enough of the award-winning star, with prize winner Tom Turner saying meeting Ed was an ‘incredible’ experience.
‘It was such a surreal experience having the number one music artist in the world on a stage in front of you,’ he said after being awarded with a community service award by Ed.
This was far from Ed’s first kind gesture towards the school, as he donated £200,000 to his old school in 2020 to fund musical kit, computers, photographic gear, and art resources.
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Known for his surprise appearances, despite announcing very early on in November that his work was done for the year, it seems Ed made an exception for the school kids.
Alongside a poetic picture showing the behind the scenes of a music vide, he alerted fans to his upcoming hiatus.
‘Signing off now until 2023,’ he captioned the pic.
‘See you in the new year. Much love, Ed x.’
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