Berahino: It's lovely to see the kids happy

Primary school teachers can register for free resources and parents can nominate schools by visiting Premier League Primary Stars 

Pupils at Pikemere School in Alsager, Cheshire, had special help when writing a report of nearby Stoke City's match against Everton earlier in the season in a lesson.

Stoke striker Saido Berahino came to the school and provided some first-hand knowledge of the match as well as helping a PE lesson. 

The visit marked the launch of the Premier League Primary Stars programme, which is being delivered across England and Wales by 88 professional clubs and uses the appeal of the Premier League and football clubs to inspire children to learn, be active and develop important life skills.

Pikemere is one of 31 schools in the programme run by Stoke City Community Trust and Berahino was impressed with what he saw. 

"It's brilliant, really, getting the kids not only actively taking part in sport and games outside, but also using the power of the Premier League and football in general to inspire them and help to improve their English and Maths skills inside the classroom," he told stokecityfc.com.

"It's lovely to see the kids happy and excited to see a Premier League footballer at their school, I wish that would have happened when I was younger."

Premier League Primary Stars was launched last month and uses the appeal of professional football clubs to inspire primary school children, while providing free teaching resources.

Running alongside this is the new Premier League Primary Stars Kit and Equipment scheme, which gives teachers the opportunity to get their hands on a full team kit or a range of useful equipment for their school that can be used for different subject areas.

Teachers can apply for the chance to receive free kit or equipment for their school by registering for the programme at PLPrimaryStars.com.

Parents can also nominate their school via the website. This year’s application window opens from 24 April-9 June.