Tom Grennan's surprise visit to secondary pupils

After a ribbon cutting ceremony, a special plaque was unveiled in the singer’s honour before a tour of the state-of-the art facilities, which included a visit to Sandy Secondary School’s brand new 3G sports pitch

Singer-songwriter Tom Grennan returned to his home county to open new teaching and special educational needs and disabilities (Send) blocks at a secondary school.

Grennann was the surprise guest at Sandy Secondary School, Bedfordshire, to open the newly expanded facilities and three-classroom Send block.

The 29-year-old, who was recently diagnosed with Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), said he hoped the new facilities would provide pupils with more “understanding” and “confidence”.

"If I'd have been told I had ADHD in school, maybe I wouldn't have been classed as the class clown," Grennan said.

Grennan has a special connection to Sandy Secondary School, as his mother, Clare Grennan, worked there and his grandmother was a governor in the 1980s

New facilities include 28 classrooms in the newly expanded facilities, including five IT suites, two specialist food technology rooms and a new sixth-form centre.

The three-classroom Aspirational Provision Send block has been designed to provide support for students with special educational needs with a tailored environment for learning.

Grennan said while school was a "good time" for him with "good friends," he said an earlier diagnosis could have given him great understanding at a younger age.

"For me, having that diagnosis gives me a bit of clarity to what my brain does and the person I am," he added.

“I feel like being a kid and understanding who you are at an early age will definitely give kids more confidence and understand why they might be a little bit different in school, whether it's in behaviour or whether it's in social surroundings.”

The facility is part of Central Bedfordshire Council’s transformation project at the school

Executive Principal at the school, Karen Hayward, said the new development was one of her dreams.

She said: "The Aspirational Provision allows us to create a fully inclusive school.

"After five years of hard work, it’s incredibly rewarding to see this dream come to life.

"These new facilities will make a real difference and have a lasting impact on the lives of our young people.”