Parents have stepped in to buy out an independent prep school at North Walsham.

St. Nicholas House Prep School and Nursery was founded over 60 years ago by a group of local parents wanting a better education for their children.

The new owners are parents whose children attend the school on Yarmouth Road.

In an echo of the school's past, they are also all local business people, just like when it was founded.

Headmaster Martin Castle said 'We are very proud of our school and what we have achieved and we feel we are going back to our roots with strong, passionate owners that trust in the standards of the school and have invested their money and expertise into its future.'

Spokesman Andrew Dewing said: 'We have a strong belief in the ethos and values of the school. The education and pastoral care offered by St Nicks and the leadership from Martin Castle has been a driving force in our decision to invest.'

Children at the school can start in the nursery at two years old and then move to the prep school between the ages of four and five and attend until 11.

The new owners have set the fees, which commences on January 1st 2016, at £1,695 a term plus a £200 compulsory supplement per term for lunches. There will also be a sibling discount of up to 30pc available and no entrance examinations.