Sitting exams is hungry work.

So a Norfolk secondary school has set up a breakfast club to make sure pupils are getting the best start to the day before their all-important tests.

Over the years headteacher Richard Cranmer, of Archbishop Sancroft High School, has become concerned that some students are not getting an adequate breakfast.

Recently the East of England Co-Op contacted the school offering year-11 pupils bottled water, fruit and cereal bars for each day of their exams.

The take-up of the healthy snacks was so good the principal decided to set up the breakfast club.

He said: 'We had an opportunity to run with the East of England Co-Op's offer.

'There is additional stress on students these days. Plus a number of our students are coming into school without a regular breakfast.

'Having seen how our students are taking up this offer confirms to me that some of them have not been getting the right breakfast.'

To help provide for the breakfast club, a number of nearby businesses have rallied around.

The Tudor Bakehouse is supplying five weeks of bread, The Broken Egg Farm shop and café is donating eggs and baked beans, Pepperells Meats is providing bacon and Budgens donated £20 to get a selection of toast toppings.

Student Bethany Bullen said the new breakfast club had really helped, as it was one less thing to think about before her exams as she did not have to prepare food at home.

Student Levi Farrow said having food first thing rather than waiting until after the exam helped him to switch on earlier.

Emma Johnson, who manages the development of the cluster of Harleston schools, said: 'Research has shown that children who eat breakfast regularly consistently achieve higher results academically.

'Traditional breakfast foods are high in calcium, iron and B vitamins alongside proteins and fibre.

'We are noticing a significant impact on our students. Students have praised the breakfast club and parents have commended the school for providing it. They appreciate that we are considering the whole child in our study support programme - not focussing solely on 'revision revision revision'.'