Sport is thriving again in schools after the lifting of restrictions and King James Academy is taking full advantage of it.

The Garden Walk-based school have already enjoyed 40 competitive inter-school fixtures ranging from district leagues to national tournaments and more than 200 pupils have had the chance to put on a school kit and play competitive school sport again at football, rugby, netball and table-tennis.

Rob Dowler, head of PE and school sport at King Kames, said: "It has been fantastic to see the enthusiasm of the pupils to take the extra curricular sporting opportunities.

"The fact that this is now again able to lead to competing with other schools adds to the experience for them."

There have been plenty of highlights too in the past few months.

All five of the King James girls' football teams have made it through the first two rounds of the English Schools’ national football competition and the Year 5 and 6 boys' have booked their place in the county finals after victory in the North East Herts District seven-a-side tournament.

As the Hub site of the North East Herts School Sports Partnership, King James also enjoyed inviting the local first schools to a cross-country athletics event.

Over 500 Year 3 and 4 pupils enjoyed the event with King James's Year 11 and Year 6 pupils acting as sports leaders to help and guide the young athletes around the course.

King James’s Year 9 pupils have also enjoyed a trip to the Obstacle Training Ground in Bassingbourn for a physically challenging team-building session.

The pupils had lots of fun and enjoyed the opportunity to experience the facilities.

Head of Year 9,Ashley Judge said: "It was so pleasing to see Year 9 push themselves outside of their comfort zone, working together to overcome challenges and taking the opportunity to speak to and work with different people.

"They have a big year ahead as they look to choose their options at GCSE so opportunities to focus on enrichment and wellbeing are even more important at this stage."