Thirty-three-year-old singer Ed Sheeran has revealed that he is set to take a break from recording his new album, to launch a new music scheme for young people

The singer had previously topped the charts with seven huge albums, including his record-breaking 2017 release Divide.

However, Sheeran has revealed his plans to launch a new scheme to improve funding for music lessons at schools across the country.

The hitmaker has previously donated millions to his old school, Thomas Mills High in Suffolk, after he was contacted by his old teacher about funding cuts in 2018.

Speaking about the scheem, he said: “I started doing that in the county I’m from, and we’ve just now changed to doing it nationwide.

“I’m now visiting more high schools that really need music funding and you can see what a difference it makes.

“I’m not an academic person – in the real world I would be viewed as stupid. But I excelled at music and therefore people think I’m good at something.

“I found it massively helpful to be at a state-funded school that really encouraged that. They’ve basically cut funding for that in England so I’m doing what I can to get funding for it.”

Ed was previously thought to have donated £170,000 to his old school to fund art and music programmes in 2020.

The singer is said to have made the contributions in a bid to help find the next global superstar who can follow in his footsteps.

The A Team hitmaker’s charity Ed Sheeran Suffolk Music Foundation has provided the school with cameras, MacBooks and a photography darkroom for its art and IT departments.

According to The Sun, a report from the charity’s trustees said: ‘Following grants to Thomas Mills School, this has enabled them to successfully upgrade their Art, IT and Music rooms for students to improve their educational performance.

‘Soundproofing, a new photography studio and several high-end composition and recording software programs have been purchased and installed.’