CHILDREN from local schools were brought together for an afternoon of tennis at the Fort Hill cluster festival.

The event, which was sponsored by Totally Tennis and held at the indoor centre, was organised by tennis development officer Alison Beard.

The children, who are all Year 4 pupils, attend Winklebury and Castle Hill junior schools. Both are feeder schools for Fort Hill Community School, which was the venue for the Year 1 festival, run by Beard, earlier in the week.

Both festivals were a conclusion to a six-week curriculum and after-school programme developed by Totally Tennis and delivered in each respective cluster school by Totally Tennis coaches and Beard.

Children were given the opportunity to practise what they have learnt in their lessons on real tennis courts and also to meet other children from schools in their area.

The Totally Tennis schools programme is run in line with the guidelines of the government schools sports co-ordinator (SSCO) programme, which focuses on giving children the opportunity and encouragement to participate and enjoy sport - both during and after school.

Every child who participates in the sessions at their school is given a voucher by Totally Tennis to attend a free Munchkin Club session at the indoor centre as a follow-on to the coaching they have already received.

Another vital part of the initiative is talent-spotting the more able children, with coaches giving them additional opportunities to play on a regular basis.

Beard is working in partnership with Totally Tennis to give more than 30 Basingstoke infant, junior and primary schools a free six-week coaching course for all Year 1 and Year 4 pupils within this current school year, as well as festivals at the end of every half-term.

To enhance the coaching given, teachers are given resources developed by Totally Tennis and Beard.

These include a scheme of work and lesson plans to enable them to continue teaching tennis in their weekly PE lessons.

The schools programme is part of the successful Totally Tennis outreach programme, which received a grant earlier in the year from the Hampshire LTA to fund the free curriculum coaching delivered under the SSCO banner.

In addition, Totally Tennis also offers schools that are not part of the SSCO programme the chance of curriculum coaching, if the school runs an after-school club.

This coaching is in high demand as more and more headteachers want to take advantage of the expertise of outside sports coaches in their schools.

Beard said at the festival: "I think that these events are a great success.

"All the children and teachers thoroughly enjoy the experience of a real tennis centre and I would like to thank everyone who has helped me and the parents who have come here today to support their children.

"Totally Tennis are always extremely welcoming to the children and without their commitment to the programme they would be unable to have this wonderful opportunity."