The outing was part of Mr Johnson’s prize for being voted the town’s top teacher for 2008. Local bus company Shoreline Suncruisers laid on a double decker free of charge to take the excited pupils and their mentor down to the North Bay attraction.

Mr Johnson said: “We had a cracking time. When we got there a member of staff gave us a talk about rock pools and the sea life that lives in them. We learnt about the seal hospital and the work that goes on there.

“Then we split into small groups and had a good look round and visited the touching pool, penguins and otters.

“We finished off our morning by having a walk along the prom and having an ice cream.”

The teacher says he is now looking forward to the summer holidays and the start of next term.

“It’s been very hectic in the past few days,” he said, “But it was a wonderful feeling to have been voted Teacher of the Year and a very nice way to end the school term.”