The school has been awarded School of the Month for March – an accolade handed out by the Sports Council’s 5x60 scheme, which is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and run locally by Powys County 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.

Over half of the pupils at Llanidloes High School have given 5x60 activities a shot since the scheme arrived at the school in September 2007 and with the new activities on the timetable for this year many more are set to sign up.

A whole host of activities are on offer at the school, including table tennis, spinning, sailing, kayaking, dance and golf to name just a few. Dodgeball is a firm favourite amongst the youngsters with squash, basketball and badminton not far behind.

5x60 Officer at the school, Kate Preston, who was awarded the Officer of the Month title in September for her contribution to getting every child hooked on sport for life, comments on the success of the scheme at Llanidloes so far,

"Since the project has been introduced there has been a massive increase in the amount of pupils taking part in extra-curricular sport, providing them with alternative activities to keep them occupied during break and lunchtimes."