Ed Sheeran gives Christchurch school pupils a lesson in rock

British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has given young Kiwi fans a lesson in rock ahead of four major concerts on his whistle-stop New Zealand tour.

The 24-year-old made an appearance at Christchurch's Redcliffs School yesterday - much to the thrill of hundreds of young pupils, who screamed with delight when he walked into the school hall.

The Thinking Out Loud singer looked on with a smile as several enthusiastic youngsters welcomed him with a traditional haka.

He later posted a photo of his encounter on his social media sites - Twitter and Instagram - with the caption: "Spent the afternoon singing with primary school kids. My face hurts from smiling, so much fun."

Earlier yesterday, he gave 100 lucky fans a mini concert at the city's Botanical Gardens, where he performed four songs. The appearance was part of a ZM radio competition.

Sheeran posted a photo of himself with the crowd on his Instagram page - which 3.6 million people around the world follow.

His New Zealand tour kicked off last night at the Horncastle Arena in Christchurch.

He will head to Wellington for a show tomorrow and then to Auckland for two shows at Vector Arena over the weekend.

The chart-topper confirmed to ZM radio hosts Jase and PJ that he was single and the last person he kissed was one of his crew members.

He also met PJ's mother, answering her questions before promising to pop around for dinner at her house.

But Sheeran wasn't the only one who performed. A barbershop quartet, who were brought in to perform Sheeran's songs during ad breaks, delighted the British star, who began filming them on his cellphone.

Last year, Sheeran revealed he planned to take a week's holiday here following the tour.

He said: "I'm going to stay in New Zealand afterwards as well. We're going to spend a total of about two weeks there. It's going to be good."