AN OLYMPIC swimmer has launched a pilot project to boost sport in schools as part of a multi-million pound training programme.

Pupils at Darlington's Carmel College will benefit from a new sports leadership academy and also pupils taking part in less traditional school sports such as climbing, sailing, boxercise, dance and metafit.

Chris Cook, who swam in the 2004 and 2009 Olympic Games and has taken gold in the Commonwealth Games, launched the 'Active Carmel' project the school.

He led assembles and worked with pupils over two days on their approach to challenging situations, teamwork and resilience.

The Active Carmel project has been funded by the National Lottery and will run until July 2019.

It is part of a £13.5m teacher training project, being funded by Sport England, which is the first significant investment in secondary school physical education since 2008.

The scheme is designed to help secondary school PE teachers help create a more positive attitude to physical exercise and sport among its pupils.

Carmel, which has a good record of sporting success, was one of only 42 schools selected nationally to run the pilot project.

This is before it is rolled out and trialled across the country.

Jennie Price, chief executive of Sport England, said the scheme will 'help schools and teachers design a wider range of opportunities to increase young people's enjoyment or sport and PE'.

Simon Hannaford, PE teacher and project manager, said: "We have designed activities to encourage and increase participation and enjoyment in physical activity across the college.

"These will include a new sports leadership academy, climbing, sailing, boxercise, metafit, handball, dance and a whole lot more.

"We will have weekly challenges which will link physical activity to other subjects.

"The inter-house sports programme will be expanded and everything will be linked into the college reward programme ‘Class Charts’.

"It is a very exciting time with PE being the focal point in the college, but it great that both the pupils and staff have all bought into it."

The national programme will offer specialist training and mentoring to at least two teachers in every secondary school in England by 2020.

Selected schools receive a package of support and resources including funding, workforce training and mentoring.