If you want to find a shining light regarding specialist sports colleges then look no further than St Mary's Roman Catholic School in Menston.

Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Tessa Jowell certainly doesn't need any convincing of their success anyway.

After a visit to the school, she said: "St Mary's is very much in the vanguard; it is leading the country as one of the most successful specialist sports colleges.

"And we are looking very closely in Government at what you are doing and how you are doing it in order that what St Mary's is doing today, other schools in different parts of the country can do next month and next year as more money becomes available.

"I feel really inspired by what you are doing here. It is a fantastic story of success."

And Lord Carter, chairman of Sport England, is a fan of what is going on at St Mary's too.

He said of the school: "Your work in the wider community is truly outstanding. I can think of few other places where the concept of partnership and joined-up working has been implemented and significant outputs delivered as a result."

So what exactly is happening at St Mary's?

Richard Chattoe, the school's sport partnership development manager, had many of the answers. He said: "The sports partnership is in its sixth year and involves 52 schools - eight secondary, including Guiseley, Benton Park, Horsforth, Prince Henry's Grammar (Otley), Abbey Grange, Ralph Thoresby and Mount St Mary's, and 44 primary schools.

"Each secondary school is involved with about five primary schools, and £375,000 a year has gone into these schools and their local communities.

"Part of the strategy comes from PESCCL, the PE in Schools and Community Club Links, which is nationwide, and aims to increase both participation in sport and the number of leaders and volunteers aged 14 to 18 in schools who can help the community.

"Also it intends to increase usage of school facilities by clubs, and can tap into a dedicated team of co-ordinators and the energy and goodwill of the teachers."

One obvious progression at St Mary's has been the increase in numbers of children aged five to 16 that are participating in at least two hours of high-quality PE a week.

Chattoe said: "From an initial starting point of 62 per cent, we hit our target of 76 per cent last July and we now want to achieve 78 per cent by this July."

Among the bodies or organisations helping St Mary's to achieve their successes have been the Leeds Sports Development Unit, the Big Lottery, the Community Sports Coach Scheme (through Otley RUFC and the RFU), Leeds Rhinos, the West Yorkshire Women's and Girls' Cricket Association, Yorkshire County Cricket Club and the Lawn Tennis Association.

But pupils at St Mary's haven't just been able to take part in the traditional big three sports of rugby (both codes), football and cricket.

There has also been the chance to do athletics, tennis, basketball, gymnastics, badminton, squash, table tennis and multi-skill sports, which help agility, balance and co-ordination.

"We have developed a package approach, and there have been festivals and follow-on opportunities," said Chattoe.

"The sports leadership courses in the secondary schools have empowered teenagers in a sporting context, and we hope they have obtained key life skills too.

"Last year our Step Into Sport programme involved 1800 students who completed leadership courses, and a number of them will be volunteers in the local community having done over 100 hours.

"For example, they have organised group warm-ups and talked tactics - it has been hugely successful.

"Now they have the chance to be involved in sport as a career or at least to act in some kind of supporting role, and every single school in Leeds is covered by these school sports partnerships."