The Sports Council for Wales has promoted Holywell High School, in Flintshire, to top of the class for its A-grade efforts to get young people fit and active.

The school raced to the School of the Month award for November – an accolade handed out by the Sports Council’s 5x60 scheme - which is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and run locally by Flintshire County Borough Council.

5x60 aims to get secondary school children who usually prefer to stay on the sporting sidelines more active, more often and the scheme is scoring high marks. In fact, 98% of mainstream schools in Wales have now signed up.

In 2008, over half the school’s population took part in 5x60 clubs. Forecasted figures for this year already show an increase in participation with a third of pupils skipping along to 5x60 activities within the first six weeks of autumn term alone.

With a wide variety of activities on offer, including cheerleading, swimming and golf, there’s enough to keep everyone happy but it’s dodge ball and street dance that are proving the biggest hits. Both street dance and cheerleading teams from Holywell also won their respective categories in the Flintshire Festival of Youth Sport and went on to represent Flintshire and Wales in national competitions.

Bethan Roberts, the school’s 5x60 Officer explains:

"The 5x60 timetable currently offers a wide and diverse range of clubs with eight taking place during the school day and two at the weekend. We have established a strong partnership between the school and local leisure centre. Two 5x60 clubs take place at the local leisure centre, giving pupils a chance to access clubs in facilities other than school grounds, and create the much needed school to club link."

Jeff Collins, Assistant Head in Holywell High School, said:

The 5x60 programme and the work of Bethan have made an invaluable contribution to the extracurricular physical activity timetable in the school. I know that our pupils have really enjoyed participating and their confidence and ability has been gratefully enhanced."

Danielle Gabriel, Year 12 Cheerleading and Street Dance Volunteer Coach, added:

"I think that the 5x60 programme is an excellent way to keep children fit. A lot of pupils take part in the activities. Since the 5x60 programme has been running at Holywell High School the variety of clubs on offer has really improved and there have been more competitions for the school to get involved in.

"The thing I like best about the 5x60 programme is when I coach the children, I have so much fun and I love seeing the end result of the hard work when I take them to competitions."

Hannah Neale, Year 9 Pupil, is a regular at street dance club, which she clearly loves:

"I think it’s great the after school clubs are doing so well, personally I love the street dance it’s my favourite. I enjoy competing in the competitions and winning! It’s a great programme because it keeps me fit and I have a laugh with my friends."

Angela Jones, year 8 pupil, also revels in busting a groove at inter-form and street dance clubs. She enthuses:

"The 5x60 programme is good because it’s fun and keeps me busy after school. I love the inter-form competitions especially netball and we get to practice in our after school club. Street dance is really good because it’s a new activity that’s on offer to everyone in school."

Chair of the Sports Council for Wales, Philip Carling, said:

"One of the winning formulas behind 5x60 is that pupils can take part in physical activity during lunchtimes and after school. The challenge now is to open the school doors for 5x60 at weekends and in school holidays. Success stories such as at Holywell High School lay the foundations for the Sports Council for Wales’ long term objective to ensure that as many of these youngsters as possible go on to live healthy adult lives."

Latest figures reveal that more youngsters across Wales are lacing up their trainers for a taste of 5x60 action. The programme has been championed by Olympic silver medallist David Davies, Stuart Cable and Hip Neu Sgip presenter Alex Jones.

Pupils are invited to visit www.5x60.org.uk and to put forward their school for 5x60 School of the Month.