The Sports Council for Wales has promoted Tonypandy Community College in Rhondda Cynon Taff to top of the class for its A-grade efforts to get young people fit and active.

The school sprinted to the School of the Month award for December – an accolade handed out by the Sports Council’s 5x60 scheme, which is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and run locally by Rhondda Cynon Taff 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.

Just under half of the pupils at Tonypandy Community College have given 5x60 activities a shot this autumn term alone, maintaining a great record since the school signed up to the scheme four years ago.

A wide variety of activities are on offer at the school, including basketball, table tennis, badminton, mountain biking, cheerleading, street dance, trampolining, swimming, skate park, tag rugby and dodgeball club for girls and boys. Table tennis, trampolining and dodgeball have proven to be the runaway favourites.

Carly Jones, 5x60 Officer at Tonypandy, explains:

"Since I started at the college in September, I have been overwhelmed with the commitment that some pupils show towards 5x60. Each club that has started has attracted great numbers, and the sessions have really developed as the term progresses."

The pupils at Tonypandy have entered many competitions and tournaments through 5x60, including: The Welsh Schools Cyclo Cross Championships, RCT Girls Tag Rugby tournament, Rhondda Badminton Tournament and a Children in Need 5x60 triathlon.

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 Tonypandy 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."

Pupils at Tonypandy say they enjoy 5x60 activities because ‘it keeps us fit, makes us smile and keeps us out of trouble.’

Councillor Eudine Hanagan, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning, said: "I am pleased to hear that Tonypandy Community College has been awarded the 5x60 School of the Month. This award is testimony to the young people at the school and the hard work of the 5x60 coordinators. It is pleasing to hear that so many young people are getting involved in the programme and becoming more physically active. One of the winning formulas behind 5x60 is that pupils can take part in physical activity during lunchtimes and after school."

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.