THOMAS Clarkson Community College has been awarded the 2007 Sports Mark for exceptional delivery within the National School Sport Strategy. The Wisbech college had to meet criteria set by the Government which included making sure the percentage of student

THOMAS Clarkson Community College has been awarded the 2007 Sports Mark for exceptional delivery within the National School Sport Strategy.

The Wisbech college had to meet criteria set by the Government which included making sure the percentage of students taking part in at least two hours high quality PE and school sport each week was significantly above the national average.

Students had to have a sports day and the college had to meet or better the national average with regards to the range of sports offered.

Judging criteria also included the percentage of students taking part in sports clubs, the percentage involved in sports leadership and volunteering and numbers taking part in inter-school competitive sport.

Head teacher John Bennett has praised the enthusiasm, commitment and dedication of staff and students.

He said: "I would like to add my thanks to parents who are happy to drop off and collect their children frequently so that they can benefit from the numerous and varied activities which we offer outside normal school time."

Activities as diverse as archery, dry slope skiing and climbing are offered by the college's extended schools programme. Thirty students have recently returned from a skiing trip to Austria and another trip is being organised for next year. A group of students is shortly going off to Barcelona to play football.

Mr Bennett praised the work of Ann Dennis, head of PE and all the PE staff who work so hard outside normal teaching hours to provide such a wide and diverse programme of sport.