A school for students who have difficulty attending mainstream education is holding its annual Christmas Carol Service on Thursday, December 5.

Red Balloon on Drayton Road offers up to 40 placements for students who self-exclude from secondary school because of things like anxiety, trauma and other special educational needs (SEN).

The free concert at St Peter Mancroft Church is a celebration of the school’s achievements over the last year.

Head of Centre Mark Anderson said: “Our students, it’s not that they want to leave school. They want to learn.

"It’s more to do with the environment they’ve found themselves in and their SEN needs. They put barriers in place, and we’re there to address the barriers.

“Last year we had a student who achieved four 9s at GCSE. They were always aspiring to the best they could be, but when they joined the school they were really low in confidence.

At that particular point, they didn’t feel that they were going to achieve anything.”

The evening will include performances from Norfolk choirs Invidia Voices and Musicality. Doors open at 6.30pm.