SKATEBOARDING became the main lesson of the day at a primary school when a national sport group dropped by to teach pupils some new tricks.

Team Rubicon, represented by Geoff Else, visited Roose School on Wednesday as part of a northern tour of the country.

Hoards of children excitedly donned helmets and knee-pads in the playground, as the 31-year-old ensured that everybody got involved.

“Sport brings out confidence in all kids, especially those less sporting than usual,” he said.

“All the kids start from scratch. I get overly emotional when they learn something new.

“There are lots of facilities within Barrow so it gives them a focus on something to do outside of school.”

Team Rubicon has been running for nearly 10 years and Mr Else, originally from Hampshire, explained how much he loved his job.

“We started Team Rubicon as a fun thing, but never really expected it to take off like it did,” he said.

“I’ll go anywhere if kids want to have a good time. I teach all day, end at 3pm, and then go skating by myself.”

He was particularly impressed by Barrow’s indoor UrbanExtreme Skatepark and felt it was a great addition to the town.

Year Five teacher Gaynor Stevens believed that getting children involved in sport from a young age was vital.

“It’s important for kids to have a hobby, particularly anything that gets them out playing safely and responsibly,” she said.

“We do lots of different sporting activities and get specialists in.

“They all love it and it’s just a chance for them to experience something new and learn new skills, which a lot of them will be able to use outside school.”

Year Five pupil Katie Ridgeway, nine, said: “I enjoyed skateboarding. It’s good because I like doing tricks.”