POTENTIAL sporting stars of the future from an Oxfordshire school have been getting into the Olympic spirit by visiting the site of the 2012 games in London.

Eight pupils at King Alfred’s Specialist Sports College who have made significant progress on their Btec sport course this year toured the Olympic Park at Stratford, in East London, to see construction of the major venues.

King Alfred’s was among 60 schools invited to visit the Olympic Park as a reward for joining the London 2012 Get Set network. It is for schools across the UK which have demonstrated a commitment to the Olympic and Paralympic ideals and values.

Headteacher Nicholas Young said: “I’m very pleased that King Alfred's was selected for this wonderful opportunity for our students.

“As one of the first specialist sports colleges in the UK, we’re very excited by the 2012 Olympics and all the opportunities for our young people to be involved.”

Year 10 pupil Jodie Major was among the budding sportsmen and women who toured the site, seeing the construction work in progress on the Olympic Stadium, aquatics centre, velodrome and handball arena.

She said: “I thought the Olympic Park was really good.

“They have made great progress on building it and a lot of the buildings are eco-friendly. I know it will look great when it’s done.

“I’m glad we are hosting the 2012 Olympics as I think we will stand a better chance of winning medals.”

The Olympic Park is expected to cost £9.3bn.

Jodie said: “That’s a lot of money to be spent on something but part of the reason we won the bid was that the park is sustainable after the games.”

She said she particularly liked the wave-shaped Aquatics Centre.

Lord Sebastian Coe, chairman of the organising committee of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, said: “I’m delighted King Alfred’s won this opportunity.

“I hope the pupils were inspired to return to Wantage and continue their work on Olympic and Paralympic projects as part of our education programme.”

As well as seeing some of the world-class sporting facilities under construction – and posing for a photograph on the Greenway, a walkway overlooking the site – the pupils learned about the environmental and community programmes running on the Olympic Park.