HARTFORD High School passed a rigorous inspection to win a coveted sportsmark for the quality of sport on offer.

To receive the coveted kitemark the school had to pass a strict set of criteria set by a panel of experts from organisations including Sport England and the Association For Physical Education.

Staff had to demonstrate that 90% or more of pupils were doing two hours of PE and sport each week - at Hartford every single child has at least two hours. Other criteria included the percentage of pupils taking part in inter-school competitive sport; the range of sports the school offers; the number of pupils in sports clubs, and the percentage of pupils actively involved in sports leader-ship and volunteering.

Around 16% of secondary schools in the country met the high standards and collected the award. Julia Harries, director of sport at the school, said: 'This award reflects the many exciting sporting opportunities available to pupils as part of the Language and Sports College specialism.'