FROM uni-cycling to spinning plates, around 50 pupils at Sidmouth s St John s School showed off their circus skills on Sunday when they put on a performance for parents after two days of learning techniques used beneath the big top.

FROM uni-cycling to spinning plates, around 50 pupils at Sidmouth's St John's School showed off their circus skills on Sunday when they put on a performance for parents after two days of learning techniques used beneath the big top.

The circus weekend, organised by staff, began after school on Friday when children had a fancy dress party.

Aimed at children throughout the school, from five to 13-year-olds, Big Top Mania arrived on Saturday to put them through their paces after teaching them such skills as balancing hoops, tightrope walking, acrobatics and clowning around.

In the afternoon the company performed circus tricks, ready to teach more to the children on Sunday before they took to the circus ring to entertain parents who had enjoyed a buffet lunch.

Parent Louise Major, press officer for the prep school said: "The weekend was about having fun and called for boarders and the rest of the school to do something together.

"It extended the school experience and gave pupils new skills. There was a lot of teamwork involved and all of them did something in the show.

"The uni-cycling was brilliant, as was tightrope walking and acrobatics.