EXAMS were over, the end of term was approaching and it was time to relax in the classroom.

Or perhaps not. At many schools, there was an important date before everyone broke up for the summer holidays – the annual school sports.

School houses would compete against each other in a variety of events to win trophies and claim to be champions.

And while competitors oozed every ounce of energy on the track and field, others would cheer them on from the sidelines.

Picture 1 shows pupils from John Hampden Primary School hitting the first bend in the 200 yards race at Elms Park, Thame, in 1965.

Thame House won the Dodwell Challenge Shield with the highest number of points for the fourth year running, beating Isis House by two points.

In picture 2, the anchor man in the Loyd House tug-of-war team is seen going down with a bump at King Alfred’s School, Wantage, in 1966.

But it was only a temporary lapse. The Loyd team recovered to beat School House by two pulls to one.

R Hall, of Pangbourne House, is seen in Picture 3 clearing 4ft 7in to win the high jump and the third-form Victor Ludorum Medal at Wallingford Grammar School in 1963.

That year, A Ashton (Didcot House) set a new record in the 880-yard race of 2min 4.2sec, beating the previous best by three seconds.

Picture 4 shows pupils at Hook Norton School enjoying the rough and tumble of the sack race in 1966, while in Picture 5, a year earlier, N Tabor wins the under-13 girls’ 100-yard race at Fitzharry’s School, Abingdon.

In Picture 6, also in 1965, we see the cheerleaders at Bicester Grammar School – they were taking it easy as their more energetic classmates fought for glory.