WHILE the centre of Oxford was packed with revellers for May Morning, youngsters in Blackbird Leys were enjoying their own celebrations.

More than 1,000 children from the Blackbird Academy Trust joined the event in Blackbird Leys park.

They wore may bonnets and performed traditional stick dances – a type of morris dancing – cheered on by 700 parents and members of staff from Pegasus, Windale and Orchard Meadow primary schools.

Jamie Crooke, nine, performed the dance with friends from the Windale School and was thrilled with how the day went.

He said: “After my performance, I have accomplished overcoming my fears of stagefright and I would totally do it again.

“The best part about the dancing was that everyone was able to join in.”

Pegasus School pupils Pelumi Maxwell and Maculey Smith also joined in.

Pelumi, 10 said: “Once we started practising it was really fun. All our hard work paid off.”

Maculey 11, said: “When I got chosen to do the stick dance I was really excited.”

Two children from each school were also chosen to be the May Kings and Queens for the event.

Year Six pupils Lamou Mbugua and Jahdey Erskine from Orchard Meadow took pride of place in the field, alongside Harrison Shirley and Jamie Just from Windale School.

Year One pupil Natasha Haines and Year Three pupil Josh Regi represented Pegasus.

Ellie Danby, from the Blackbird Academy Trust, said: “It went really well.

“There was a lovely atmosphere and it worked brilliantly. There was a strong community feel.”