FORMER Premiership football referee Matt Messias gave a motivational talk at a conference for students of Newsome High School and Sports College.
About 140 Year 9 students who are sitting their Sats next month went to the event at the Galpharm Stadium.
The event, which was organised by deputy headteacher Phil Pearson, included a series of workshops to help the pupils prepare for the key stage three government tests.
The workshops included numeracy games, making confidence cards, tai chi, memory and revision techniques, a Sats surgery and brain gym.
