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The American football team visit is part of its school attendance programme.

Two primary age pupils with Gary Barnidge. The girls are on the left, looking away, with fair hair pulled back in pony tails and wearing grey T-shirts. Gary Barnidge is on the right, is clean shaven, wearing a blue and light green baseball cap and a brown T-shirt. He is signing one of the girl's T-shirts. They are in a playing field. — Former Browns player Gary Barnidge told the children how important it was to stay on at school [James Burridge/BBC]

A group of primary school pupils hosted the Cleveland Browns ahead of their NFL game against the Minnesota Vikings in London.

The American football team visited Thrapston Primary School, in Thrapston, Northamptonshire, on Thursday as part of its school attendance programme.

Year 5 teacher and NFL fan Kevin Smith said he thought the visit had "generated 400 new fans" for the sport.

Former Browns player Gary Barnidge said the event's aim was teach pupils "how important it is to stay in school" - as well as introducing them to a new sport.

A group of Thrapston Primary School pupils wearing grey T-shirts saying STay in the Game and holding up red banners saying here we go brownies here we go. Behind them are three men, one a teacher in a white T-shirt with black hair and a grey and black beard. The second is Gary Barnidge, clean shaven, wearing a blue and light green baseball cap and a brown T-shirt; the third is another male teacher with a white beard and wearing a white T-shirt. Behind them are school buildings. — The visit was part of the NFL's Stay in the Game programme, which promotes school attendance [James Burridge/BBC]

Mr Smith said: "I got an email through from the Cleveland Browns asking if they could come to our school to talk about their attendance programme and of course I'm going to say yes.

"I'm a massive Cleveland Browns fan and for me and for the children it's been a brilliant day."

Some of the pupils were already familiar with American football because they play flag football - a non-contact version of the game that involves players pulling a flag off the person with the ball rather than tackling them.

About 20 children take part every Tuesday and the school is looking to enter a team in a tournament in March.

American football - and its main competition, the NFL - is a sport with a huge footprint in North America.

This season it has had a record run of seven international games played across five countries, three of them in London.

The Browns face the Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with kick-off at 14:30 BST.

A large group of primary school children at Thrapston Primary School on the playing field. They are wearing grey T-shirts saying STay in the Game and holding up red banners saying here we go brownies here we go. Behind them are three five men in T-shirts. — The school already offers pupils a non-contact version of American football called flag football [James Burridge/BBC]

Stay in the Game is the Browns' programme to improve school attendance.

Mr Smith, who is also the school's PE lead, said: "The more you go to school, the more opportunities you have in life, he said.

"It shows a commitment children make friends at school they learn values at school so yeah, it's a massive deal."

Mr Barnidge said he was impressed by the children's enthusiasm.

"When they came in, they were flipping the towels, and screaming their heads off - it was like I was back in the stadium again," he said.

"You just see their eyes light up, they're enjoying it, they're taking it all in, they're learning something new and that's what it's all about."

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Primary school hosts NFL team ahead of big game

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