STUDENTS enjoyed a voyage of discovery after setting sail across the North Sea on an historic tall ship.

A crew of Year 9 students from The King’s Academy, Coulby Newham, berthed at the Port of Blyth after a nine-day passage from Canary Wharf, London, and taking in Bruges, on the 200ft British tall ship Stavros S Niarchos.

The young sailors were part of a crew of 37 from the Emmanuel Schools Foundation with fellow students from sister schools, Bede Academy, Blyth, Emmanuel College, Gateshead, and Trinity Academy, Thorne.

The annual ESF voyage, operated by the Tall Ships Youth Trust, aims to support students’ personal development by giving them the opportunity to play an active part of life aboard ship.

King’s Academy PE teacher Lyndsey Henry, who accompanied the students on board, said: “The students have had incredible fun, learned brand new skills and made lifelong friends –it truly is a unique experience.”