The achievements of some of the area’s most talented sporting youngsters were recognised when the Three Rivers and Watford School Sports Partnership held their annual awards evening in Rickmansworth.

A packed Watersmeet was treated to an entertaining and inspiring speech by Paralympic gold medallist and 2008 Great Britain flag bearer Danny Crates before the World and European 800m champion handed out awards in 13 categories.

The outstanding achievement award for Key Stage three to five was presented to Francis Combe Academy’s Kyle Langford, who has risen rapidly up the UK athletics rankings to become the second fastest over 800m at Under-17 level, while British rhythmic gymnastics champion Amber Harvey, from Maple Cross Primary School, took the same award at Key Stage two level.

Among the other awards, the Playground to Podium Athlete of the Year was received by Tom Scarborough on behalf of his brother, Josh, who has made outstanding progress this year, the highlight of which was representing the East of England in the UK School Games over 100m and 200m at the Olympic Stadium.

The partnership consists of 48 schools across the two districts, with the aim of enhancing the provision of PE and school sport for some 15,000 pupils each year.

Since its launch in 2005, competitive participation rates have increased from 20 per cent to 70 per cent and a number of warm tributes were paid to partnership development manager Chris Hambleton, who has been the driving force behind the organisation and made it a successful and self-sufficient organisation.

He said afterwards: “I would like to thank all of the staff, parents and guests who made the evening so successful. We have some truly amazing pupils in our schools with county, regional and national champions across numerous sports.

“You never know – one day they may be the guest speaker, telling us the story of their Olympic gold.”

His sentiments were echoed by Rickmansworth School’s head of PE Simon White, who added: “The evening was a huge success and highlighted what fantastic talent we have in Three Rivers and Watford.”

Young Sportsmanship Award roll of honour: Will Cooper (Parkgate Junior); Aiden Davitt (Alban Wood); Jemima Dawkins (Little Green Junior); Matt Fitzgerald (St Mary’s C of E); Callaghan French (Divine Saviour); Jack Hatswell (Maple Cross Primary); Arbaaz Hussain (Colnbrook Special); Daniel Lawson (St Paul’s C of E); Rebbeca Lowe (Sarratt); Libby Maskell (Tanners Wood); Pippa Matthews (Christ Church); Charlie McCrossan (Woodhall); Sam Ringland (St Peter’s C of E); Luke Simpson (Arnett Hills); Abigail Southam (Yorke Mead); Felix Vine (The Russell).

Key Stage 2 Team of the Year: 1, Colnbrook sports hall athletics team; 2, Tanners Wood boys football team; 3, Harvey Road tag rugby team. Also nominated: Alban Wood tag rugby team; Arnett Hills basketball team; Little Green girls football team; Rickmansworth Park Year 5 hockey team; Sarratt School tag rugby team.

Key Stage 3 to 5 Team of the Year: 1, Parmiter’s Year 10 girls hockey team; 2, Rickmansworth Under-12 girls futsal team; 3, Francis Combe Academy Under-16 boys table tennis team. Also nominated: Garston Manor Key Stage 3 and 4 girls football team; St Clement Danes senior football team; St Joan of Arc Year 10 football team; St Michael's senior girls football team.

Outstanding Contribution to Informal Play roll of honour: Marian Bailey (Tanners Wood); Ruth Barr (Maple Cross Primary); Rita Kelly (Parkgate Junior); Bernie Newlan (Orchard Primary); Sheila Pickard (Chorleywood Primary).

Play Buddy of the Year roll of honour: Flynn Potter, Freddie Symonds, Ffion Wicke, Kane Pinnock, Emma Beasley (all Malvern Way Infant and Nursery); Molly Mcswiggan, Ella Cannon, George Handscombe, Katy Parker, Cameron McConnon (all Kingsway Infant).

Play Leader of the Year roll of honour: Anshul Adiraju (Harvey Road); Billy Chapman (Colnbrook Special); Thomas Collier (Bedmond); Autumn Cox (Orchard Primary); Caitlin Dady (Tanners Wood); Chloe Fisher (Yorke Meade); Charlotte Ford (Alban Wood Primary); Georgie Goodair (St Mary’s C of E); Caili Shea Jaggers (Rickmansworth Park JMI); Kate McCarthy (Divine Saviour); Cade Morrison (Chorleywood Primary); Alice Phillips (Sarratt); William Smith (Holy Rood Catholic Primary); Annabelle Vorster (Maple Cross Primary); Sonny Wheeler (The Russell); Emma Wilson (St Paul’s C of E).

Key Stage 3 Young Leader of the Year: 1, Brogan Finnegan (Rickmansworth); 2, Will Hollian (St Joan of Arc); 3, Jack McDonnell (St Michael’s). Also nominated: Billy Stephenson (Francis Combe Academy).

Key Stage 4 Young Leader of the Year: 1, Aisling Knight (St Joan of Arc); 2, Olivia Owen (Parmiter’s); 3, Aaron Miller (St Clement Danes). Also nominated: Will Beech (St Michael’s); Katie Denyer (Francis Combe Academy); Joe Higgins (Rickmansworth).

Key Stage 5 Young Leader of the Year: 1, Kennedy Coupe (Francis Combe Acdemy); 2, Coutney Short (Parmiter’s); 3, Raveena Bansal (Royal Masonic). Also nominated: Ellie Combe (St Michael’s); Abi Miles (Rickmansworth).

Playground to Podium Athlete of the Year: Josh Scarborough (Rickmansworth).

Key Stage 2 Outstanding Achievement Award: 1, Amber Harvey (Maple Cross Primary); 2, Charlotte Watson (Parkgate Junior); 3, Sean McManamon (Holy Rood Catholic Primary). Also nominated: David Blake (Alban Wood Primary); Chloe Disney (Little Green Junior); Rebecca Jones (The Russell); Tanya Manson-Bishop (Sarratt); Joshua Martin (Bedmond); Thomas Martin (Harvey Road); Zak Woodcock (St Peter’s).

Key Stage 3 to 5 Outstanding Achievement Award: 1, Kyle Langford (Francis Combe Academy); 2, Amber Campbell-White (St Joan of Arc); 3, James Weller (Parmiter’s). Also nominated: Lianne Langford (Francis Combe Academy); April Milner (St Clement Danes); Ciara Nicholson (Parmiter’s); Sofia Simeone (St Michael’s); Harry Tamplin (St Clement Danes); Francesca Thorpe (Rickmansworth).