A COLCHESTER primary school football team is set to represent the city in the county finals.

The Highwoods Community Primary School Year 5 and 6 Boys football team will be representing Colchester, Maldon and Tiptree in the county finals later this month.

After entering the Colchester, Maldon and Tiptree School Games football tournament and reigning undefeated against 18 other schools, the team has gotten off to a strong start.

As the top team of the 81 schools in the area, the team of 9-11 year olds will be going up against the winners of the other districts of Essex.

Kimberley Jones, the school's PE teacher, said: "We are immensely proud of the children, not only with their achievement of becoming champions but also for the way they showed great sportsmanship, remarkable character and they represented the school impeccably."

The 7-a-side team consists of Deimantas Salkauskas, ten; Perez Mensah, 11; Malakai Henry, ten; Jacob Heath, 11; Fabian Scafaru, ten; Dani Juozapaitis, 11; Lewie Massow, ten; Bailey-Jai Saloman, ten; and Aadya Kumar, 11.

The school's success does not end there though as the girls football team won bronze out of 16 teams in their district tournament as well.

Ms Jones added: "The boys and girls have really loved their team sports this year and have all played extremely well, particularly when representing our school in their respective regional finals.

"Their teamwork throughout the tournaments was exceptional and if they continue to work that hard for each other and the school, the boys deserve to do very well in the county finals."