A WYRE Forest school has been hailed as one of the best in the country at providing PE and sports by a national sports body.

Stourport High School is one of only 10 in the country ever to be awarded a Sportsmark Gold Distinction Award by Sport England and only one of two this year. Matt Lucas (left), Melissa Kennedy, Emily Hobson and Phil Baldwin of Stourport High School, one of only two schools nationally to win a Sportsmark Gold Distinction Award this year.

Four other schools in Wyre Forest received a Sportsmark Award including Bewdley High School, Birchen Coppice Middle School, Harry Cheshire High School and Wribbenhall Middle School.

The awards recognise excellence in physical education and sports provision both during and outside school curriculum time.

Stourport High School headteacher Liz Quinn said: "We're absolutely delighted. I think it's well deserved because we provide a very wide and varied sporting curriculum and have got excellent staff delivering it."

She said the head of PE at the school, David Knott, was a former international hockey player who coached Stourport first team and who had coached the Great Britain side.

In addition, she said the school had benefited from the establishment of Stourport Sports Club on the site, a joint venture between the school, Stourport Athletics Club, Stourport Hockey Club, Wyre Forest District Council and Worcestershire County Council.

She added sport had enriched pupils' lives, encouraging them to commit and get involved at lunchtime and after school, which meant youngsters weren't out on the streets.

St John's First School was the only such school in the county to receive a Sport England Activemark Gold award for schools with four to nine-year-old pupils. Seven-year-old St John's First School pupils Chloe Goodyear and Joanne Reynolds keep on the move with PE co-ordinator Jane Graves.

The sports-mad school has introduced various activities for pupils, including softball, volleyball, girls' football and country dancing.

Headteacher Sue Fitzjohn organised a presentation ceremony and arranged a visit from Kidderminster Harriers manager Jan Molby.

A school spokeswoman said: "We are absolutely chuffed with the award.

"It is quite rigid and our PE co-ordinator had to make sure all children were actively involved in some form of sport or movement."