Canaries star Leon Barnett helped hard-working youngsters from a Norwich school celebrate the success of an after-school club which saw them focus on this summer's Olympic Games.

The defender presented certificates to more than 30 children from Mile Cross Primary School who completed the Playing for Success programme at Carrow Road's Norwich City Study Support Centre.

The five-week course saw Year 6 pupils from the Brasier Road school produce their own magazine about the Olympics and the athletes going for gold at the London 2012 games.

And the youngsters were thrilled to pick up their certificates yesterday from one of the city's very own sporting stars.

The scheme, run by Norfolk County Council and Norwich City Football Club, uses sport to improve children's literacy and ICT skills.

Lyndon Surridge, a teaching assistant at Mile Cross Primary School, said: 'It was a very good course. The children learned how to work together and how to use computers to make their own booklet about the Olympics.

'They had a tour of Carrow Road, learned about how the Olympics started and then picked athletes.

'They researched facts about them, such as where they were born and what they had won.'

Alison Thomas, cabinet member for children's services at Norfolk County Council, said: 'The schemes run by our Norwich Study Centre are a great way of inspiring children to develop key skills by encouraging learning through subjects that really interest them.'

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