A COMBINATION of hard work and talent has helped Christ Church School in Ainsworth scoop its third Bury Schools Athletics Championship title in the last six years.

The school team, coached by teacher Jill Ainsworth, first won the title in 2009 and lifted the crown again last year.

But they capped their previous victories with a best-ever winning margin of 20 points this year, beating off competition from a field of 20 primary schools at Bury Athletic Club’s Market Street track.

“To win by 20 points is a huge margin,” said Mrs Ainsworth.

“When you think the gap between second and third was only two points, that puts it into context.

“When we have won in the past, it has only been by a few points, so this was a fantastic achievement.”

Mrs Ainsworth, who has taught at the school for more than 35 years, believes a rigorous training regime has helped her pupils make the most of their talent.

They started training six weeks before the contests, honing their skills in a range of sprint, middle distance and field events.

“They have all worked really hard, often through their lunch breaks, to get ready for the championships and produced some fantastic performances on the day,” she added.

“But it was not just hard work that won the day – we have some very talented young pupils here.”