Mayor of Thetford, Cllr Chris Harvey, visits his old school, Norwich Road Academy

A town mayor has made a return visit to his old school, 70 years after he first attended.

Swapping his schoolboy short trousers for a suit and ceremonial chains, Mayor of Thetford, Cllr Chris Harvey, returned to see that while the building has stayed the same, the name has changed slightly to Norwich Road Academy.

The mayor and the mayoress were special guests at the school’s Spring Sing, where the school entertained parents with various spring themed songs. A raffle was also held to raise funds for the school and to support the purchase of future equipment.

The school house captains provided a tour of the school which was followed by an afternoon of musical activities.

The Year 6 students, selected for their positive attitudes and strong work ethic, took time to answer questions about the school and listen to the mayor’s stories about his experiences when he attended.

Cllr Harvey said: “It was great to see how education has moved on and that there is more emphasis on the emotional wellbeing of the children.

“I especially appreciated the calming and supportive areas the school has to help children flourish, with some great resources such as Elmer’s Room and The Cloud.

“The school was so much more colourful and inviting, and the mayoress and I were extremely impressed by the wonderful, bright mural by local artist Joey La Meche.”

He added: “It was lovely to be invited back. I have many happy memories of my time at the school, and I can still recall many fond memories, including the long slide on the back playground, playing football, and walking to school from Kilverstone in the snow.

Headteacher Julia Miles said: “The children were thrilled to see the mayor and they were fascinated that he used to attend the school and be just like them.

“It was lovely that the mayor and mayoress took time to talk to our students and find out about how we try to create a nurturing environment for learning here at Norwich Road Academy.

“Who knows, the visit might inspire one of our students to become mayor in the future!”