March Neale-Wade Academy has a date with royalty next month when Princess Anne is set for a private visit.

The Princess Royal will be touring the school on January 21 to see just how the school is progressing under the leadership of Principal Jason Wing, who has been credited with turning the Neale-Wade around after it was sent into special measures by Ofsted in May 2012.

Her visit comes on the back of a tour earlier this year by Cambridgeshire’s Lord Lieutenant Hugh Duberly, who was taken round the school by Mr Wing at the suggestion of Mr Duberly’s March-based deputy Freddie Grounds.

Mr Grounds, who has long-links with the school having previously been a governor, was impressed with the way the school was operating during a visit for the opening of a new garden area.

“The whole place had a buzz about it. I was hugely impressed by the way the whole thing was being run and I asked Mr Wing for a tour, which he generously agreed to. What I really liked was that he knew most of the boys and girls by name and he was talking to the children, which was good to see. As a result I felt something needed to happen.

“As a Deputy I am the eyes and ears of the Lord Lieutenant and it is my responsibility to keep him abreast of what’s happening and he follows up on those he feels need it. I suggested he visit the school when we had occasion to meet up and he was as impressed as I was.

“Mr wing supports his pupils to the hilt and I am sure there will be a lot of young people who benefit from a good education under his leadership,” said Mr Grounds who added: “The fact of the matter is the pupils should be enormously proud of what is being achieved.”