Pupils from two local schools, Phoenix High School in Shepherd's Bush and St John’s CE Primary School in Fulham travelled east this week to visit two London 2012 Legacy venues built for the Olympic Games.

They were among 700 schoolchildren chosen to be first to enjoy exclusive access to expert coaching at the centres, Lee Valley VeloPark and Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre.  

The four day Schools Festival gave students selected from every London borough the chance to take part in cycling, tennis and hockey for free.

Secondary school students from Phoenix High School had coached sessions at Lee Valley VeloPark, which is the only venue in the world where the public can take part in the four Olympic and Paralympic cycling disciplines in one place: track in the iconic London 2012 velodrome, BMX on the remodelled Olympic track, road cycling on the one-mile road circuit and mountain biking on five miles of mountain bike trails.

Meanwhile the primary school pupils in Years 3 and 4 - seven to nine years old - of St John’s CE Primary School enjoyed expert coaching in Quicksticks – a fun four-a-side taster for hockey, and Mini Tennis – a perfect introduction to the basics of the sport.

Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre, where the wheelchair tennis took place during the Paralympic Games, is open to everyone with six external and four internal tennis courts alongside two international standard hockey pitches.

The event was hosted by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority which owns and runs both venues. Chief Executive Shaun Dawson said: “This inaugural Schools Festival at Lee Valley VeloPark and Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre has been a fantastic success so far.

" This is a perfect example of London 2012 delivering on its legacy promise to ‘inspire a generation’ with hundreds of children coming to enjoy these iconic venues. TWe hope that the young people participating today will be inspired to take up some of the sports we have available at these phenomenal centres.”

The Schools Festival continues at Lee Valley VeloPark with a further two days on 20-21 October. For more information on these and all the world class venues run by Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, go to: www.