A SMALL school has triumphed at a county athletics competition on its debut appearance at the contest.

St Joseph’s Primary School put up a team of 24 pupils for the district heat of inter-school challenge to compete in athletics events including running, jumping and relay.

Mark Fisher, teacher and PE co-ordinary at St Joseph’s said: “We went to Robert Blake School in Bridgwater in Decembrt with nine or ten other schools and we won by quite a significant margin.”

The children then travelled to Yeovil to take part in the county finals with the backing of local businesses Rob the Boiler Man and Worchester Bosch who gave them sports gear to wear to the event. And they beat all-comers to be named county champions.

Mr Fisher said: “The best thing is there are only 60 children in our school who were the right age to be able to take part. Lots of these other schools there were two or three times the size of ours.

“Beating off local competition from ten other schools in the Bridgwater area was a huge result for us, but to go on and win the county finals as well is a magnificent achievement and is all down to the hard work and determination of the children concerned.”