A total of 568 pupils from primary schools across Cornwall arrived at Truro School to compete in the Cornwall School Spring Games last week, sponsored by the University of Exeter.

Now in its fourth year, the Cornwall School Spring Games sees pupils compete in Sports Hall Athletics, Biathlon and Grass Track Cycling with medals and Championship Race points up for grabs! 

The Sports Hall Athletics event was held in the sports hall at the Sir Ben Ainslie Sports Centre with events such as obstacle relay, over/under relay, speed bounce and vertical jump.

Sixteen teams from 16 different schools competed in two categories - Year 3 & 4 and Year 5 & 6 - who have all qualified from their area competitions throughout the year.

Archbishop Benson School took the gold in the Year 3 & 4 group with Charlestown School taking the silver and Threemilestone collecting bronze.

In the Year 5 & 6 category the title went to Wadebridge Academy with St Columb Minor collecting silver, while there was a joint bronze award for both Bishop Bronescombe and Mount Hawke Academy.

The Biathlon event saw entries of 200 children from 39 different schools swim 200 metres and run 1500 metres in four categories: Year 5 Boys, Year 5 Girls, Year 6 Boys and Year 6 Girls, in the open entry competition.

St Uny School claimed the gold medal for the Year 5 Boys, with St Breock School and King Charles School collecting silver and bronze respectively.

Archbishop Benson School were winners again, this time in the Year 5 Girls category, edging Newquay Junior School into silver with Nansloe School taking bronze.

Mount Hawke Academy grabbed a one-two in the Year 6 Boys event, collecting gold and silver with Devoran School winning bronze.

Finally, Newquay Junior School were Year 6 Girls champions, while St Uny School and Lanlivery School took silver and bronze respectively.

There was also a Grass Track Cycling event, which was held on the fields of Truro School. This exciting team pursuit saw eight teams of eight cycle six laps of the track as they tried to catch each other.

The Year 5 & 6 winners were the same with St Breock School bringing home the gold, Mount Hawke Academy taking the silver and Roche School winning the bronze.

Rachel Knott, Cornwall School Games Lead at Cornwall Sports Partnership, said: “It was a pleasure to see so many Cornish pupils thriving in their events and demonstrating the School Games values of Determination, Passion, Team work, Honesty, Self-belief and Respect throughout the day.” 

The event, organised by School Games Organisers, Cornwall Sports Partnership, British Cycling, Sports Hall Athletics and 40 Young Leaders, is part of a series of qualifiers and finals in over thirty different sports that take place throughout the year.

More than 20,000 young people from across Cornwall will take part and the series reaches its peak at the main summer games that will be held on Friday, June 29, 2018 at Penryn College and the University of Exeter, Penryn Campus. 

In 2017 the Cornwall Sports Partnership announced a new link with the University of Exeter to inspire more young people to be engaged in physical activity through the School Games. 

The University of Exeter, which has two campuses in Cornwall – Penryn and Truro, are sponsoring the Cornwall School Games for three years to enable more young people to be inspired by PE and school sport. 

Ruth Grimmer from the University of Exeter said: “We are delighted to be involved with the School Games, a very inclusive event, which we sponsor as part of our commitment to the young people of Cornwall.

"Our research links physical activity to academic attainment, so getting more schoolchildren engaged in PE and school sport is really important.” 

Pictures from the Cornwall School Spring Games are available on the Cornwall School Games Facebook page: facebook.com/cornwallschoolgames