A charity-run nursery and two complex needs schools will be stocking up on sports kit after triumphing in a competition.

Eastern Daily Press: The Wherry School, in Norwich, came in second place in this year's Sports for Schools campaign. Picture: Reece MorganThe Wherry School, in Norwich, came in second place in this year's Sports for Schools campaign. Picture: Reece Morgan (Image: Archant)

In February, we joined forces with Sports for Schools, encouraging schools, staff, parents and communities to collect tokens to be in with a chance of winning sports equipment.

Dozens of schools around the region entered, and, after months of dedicated collecting, the three schools with the most tokens - worked out on a pro rata basis on pupil numbers - have been revealed.

The Earthsea School, in Honingham, scooped first place, winning £5,000 worth of sports kit, while the Wherry School, in Norwich, came in second and won £3,000 and Ladybird Pre School Nursery, in Sheringham, came in third, winning £2,000.

Eastern Daily Press: Elliott, six, left, Connor, eight, and Lacie, seven, celebrate their school, Earthsea School at Honingham, winning the Sport for Schools competition. Picture: DENISE BRADLEYElliott, six, left, Connor, eight, and Lacie, seven, celebrate their school, Earthsea School at Honingham, winning the Sport for Schools competition. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2018)

Plenty of other schools which collected 1,000 tokens will receive a free sports pack worth more than £60.

The Earthsea School, part of the Short Stay School for Norfolk, educates children who have complex needs.

Lynsay Barrett, its assistant lead, said: 'It was an absolute shock. We have to work really hard to collect tokens because we are a small school, so much of the collecting was done by the community and a member of staff who worked really hard. It was a real community effort.'

Eastern Daily Press: Elliott, six, left, Connor, eight, and Lacie, seven, celebrate their school, Earthsea School at Honingham, winning the Sport for Schools competition. Picture: DENISE BRADLEYElliott, six, left, Connor, eight, and Lacie, seven, celebrate their school, Earthsea School at Honingham, winning the Sport for Schools competition. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Archant)

On the shopping list, she said, would be new hockey sticks, along with a trim trail set.

'We don't have a massive budget so it is really hard, we don't often get new equipment and some is borrowed from another school.'

She said they hadn't yet told the children about their win, but she said she thought they would be 'delighted' at the news.

Eastern Daily Press: Connor, eight, left, Elliott, six, and Lacie, seven, celebrate their school, Earthsea School at Honingham, winning the Sport for Schools competition. Picture: DENISE BRADLEYConnor, eight, left, Elliott, six, and Lacie, seven, celebrate their school, Earthsea School at Honingham, winning the Sport for Schools competition. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY (Image: Copyright: Archant 2018)

In Sheringham, Ladybird nursery manager Vanessa Harris said their third place was a wonderful surprise.

'We are just absolutely amazed and very excited about it,' she said. 'We weren't expecting it at all, so it was a lovely surprise - we thought even if we got the sports pack it would be great, let alone £2,000. For a small charity-run nursery which relies heavily on fundraising it's brilliant.'

She said they didn't have anything particular in mind to buy, but said they would browse the catalogue and, they hoped, pick out one big item.

'It will be something that we've never been able to buy before,' she said. She thanked Barney's newsagents in Sheringham, which she said had helped them collect their tokens.

For the Wherry School, their second place comes in their first year of being open.

The Norwich school, which supports children with autism, opened in September and now has just under 50 pupils on its roll.

Reece Morgan, its extended schools coordinator and PE teacher, said parents had rallied around the school, working hard to collect tokens.

He said their £3,000 would be spent on a range of equipment to broaden their curriculum, with a focus on gymnastics.

'Because we are a brand new school, in some areas we are quite limited - in PE we only have so much equipment for the lessons, for example,' he said.

'This will mean we can extend our curriculum options a bit more. Most will go on gymnastics equipment, but there might be other things such as basketball or netball hoops.'

He said, being brand new, the school was surprised - but delighted - with their win.