STUDENTS at a Cradley Heath school have been paid a visit by Irish soul and pop singer Sion Hill as part of a nationwide anti-bullying campaign tour.

The singer-songwriter, who has a growing reputation in the music industry, took time to entertain more than 500 Ormiston Forge Academy youngsters from years seven and eight before opening up about his personal experiences with cyberbullying and discrimination.

Sion said: “With the evolution of social media, our attention spans have become shorter than ever. Rarely do we do anything without needing to film or document it on our smartphones.

“Through my music, I'm calling for a revolution of the self; to step away from the online world for a moment and think about what is really important, concentrate on real relationships and read something that's longer than a page-long article on college times.”

Sion’s new single Beaches has been riding high in the iTunes chart in Germany and he is now bringing his music and talent over to the UK by supporting One Direction’s Niall Horan on some of his tour dates.

Andrew Burns, Principal at Forge, said: “Having artists the calibre of Sion not only inspires our students to tap into their creative talent. It's a testament to him that he is committed to working with young people and delivering these incredibly important messages.

“The concerts are just another example of how Forge does things a little differently. It's about ensuring that we engage our students and make an impact. This programme is a great success and I very much look forward to it continuing throughout the Academy.”

As part of his school tour, Sion performed his new single from his latest album Elephant.