Sheet Primary School was the lucky beneficiary when eight-year-old environmentalist Frankie Morland’s school in Fleet had an inset day.

Instead of playing with his friends or chilling out at home, Frankie decided he wanted to visit Sheet – after hearing about the posters pupils produced in a competition to support a campaign against idling vehicles, and their interest in his book and song called World in Danger.

Headteacher Julie Robinson only heard about the proposed visit a day before but was delighted to invite Frankie to Sheet’s celebration assembly on Valentine’s Day.

Pupils asked Frankie, who has been on Blue Peter and The One Show, questions about his passion for music and love of endangered animals.

Frankie was also asked for tips to help the environment, then played his ukulele to the 120 children and sang a few bars of his hit song.

The World in Danger video was then shown before the children started their half-term holiday.

Sheet resident Ann Saunders, who is leading the anti-idling awareness campaign, said: “It was so good of Frankie and his family, taking the trouble to come to Sheet when they are getting requests from schools all over the place, including Manchester.

“It really was a lovely assembly and we all loved meeting Frankie in person.”

Frankie was also interviewed by Suzie Wilde, a journalist with Petersfield Community Radio, and the interview podcast can be heard at www.petersfieldradio.uk/2020/02/young-environmentalist-songwriter-frankie-morland-at-sheet-primary-school

Sheet Primary School’s friendship with Frankie began when he sent a video message thanking the children for supporting Ann’s campaign.

Frankie – who has raised £5,000 for the World Wildlife Fund from sales of his book and single – followed this up with another message in which he praised the pupils for their posters and hoped they would help reduce idling.

Ann had used Frankie’s work to help illustrate the problem of idling – an hour of it can use a gallon of fuel – to Sheet pupils during an earlier assembly.

She told the children they could all make a difference by spreading the anti-idling message to drivers they knew.