Children from Kingsway School in Watford wound up for half term with a dream visit to meet sporting heroes David Beckham and Ellie Simmonds.

Five pupils were drawn out of the hat to get the chance to meet the superstars on a visit to Lee Valley Athletics Centre in London as part of Sainsbury’s Active Kids Challenge Live Event.

This national event saw 34 schools and groups across the country take part in a variety of activities with footballer Beckham and paralympic swimmer Simmonds encouraging them all the way.

The lucky Kingsway children, aged six and seven were James, Katie, Teddy, Jessie and Jake and they were accompanied by teacher Fiona Mannering and headteacher Caroline Tristram-Walmsley.

The head said: "It was a fantastic day from start to finish. They organised a coach to take us door to door and entertained us throughout.

"David Beckham was a complete star and made a special fuss of Jessie as it was her seventh birthday.

"He was quite humble and was not surprised when the children knew Ellie more than him. We have pictures of her all over the school so they knew she was a swimmer. They all asked David what distance he ran at the Olympics.

"He was lovely though, a proper dad-like figure and he was so sweet to all the children."

One of the children on the trip, Teddy, said it was the "best day of his life".