In pictures: Pupils enjoy fencing activities at Desborough College

About 200 children from six schools across Maidenhead enjoyed a range of fencing activities at Desborough College last week.

Little Musketeers was founded by Olympic fencer and four-time British champion James Beevers in 2009.

The educational primary school programme features courses designed by James, which enable children to establish core cognitive skills for enhanced learning.

These include problem solving, focus and organisation.

The programme also looks to boost a child’s overall fitness.

Youngsters took part in a variety of different fencing activities, where they learnt basic stance and control of the adapted fencing foils on Wednesday, March 11.

Participants also got the chance to challenge themselves and score points for their team through fun skills stations and fencing bouts.

The festival looked to develop the children’s self-belief, teamwork and determination and enabled schools to choose children who do not always engage in their regular PE curriculum at school.

The event was participation focused and each child was also rewarded with a participation certificate.

The Ascot & Maidenhead School Sport Partnership, which facilitated the event, focuses on ‘positive experience’ and promoting the ‘importance of 60 active minutes every day for all students’.

The event, which aimed to ‘engage new audiences’ in sport and physical activity, was designed to be fun, encourage ‘enjoyment of being active’ and highlight the activity to the school staff.

Schools taking part included St Edmund Campion Catholic Primary School, Furze Platt Infant School, Lowbrook Academy, All Saints Junior School, Furze Platt Junior School and St Mary’s Catholic Primary School.

Emma Fitzgerald, partnership development manager, said: “I love bringing new sports and activities to our schools in the School Sport Partnership.

“If we keep doing the same things in the same way we will achieve the same outcomes and for us that means engaging the same children to be active.

“Trying new things will hopefully attract new children to enjoy being active. I was amazed at how much this age group enjoyed this.

“They stayed really focussed and engaged and had so much fun.

“These guys make fencing so accessible – anyone can do it, and the guys at Little Musketeers have created a brilliant format and variety of activities for schools to follow.

“The personal challenge aspect is addictive and so much fun.

“I can’t believe they even got them fencing against others in such a short time. The children loved it.

“I would like to thank Desborough College for hosting us all day and their brilliant team of young sports leaders did a fantastic job of encouraging the younger pupils and delivering their stations of activity.

“Great role models.”