A PE teacher is soaring after becoming one of netball’s top officials.

Megan Elliott, head of PE at The Arnewood School in New Milton, has been selected as an international umpire and has just returned from a tournament in the Caribbean.

Megan Elliott began officiating in the sport when she was 14 and has now gained her International Talent Identified Umpire status. 

The school has supported Megan as she travelled across the country to umpire tournaments, and she could go on to umpiring at world cups and commonwealth games.

The 31-year-old, who trains Arnewood pupils in the sport and still plays herself, said: “Ever since I was small I wanted to be involved in elite sport.

“I thought I wouldn’t make it as a player so I decided to start umpiring when I was 14 – I thought ‘I can do this whistle thing’.

“I worked my way up to umpiring in the Premier League and Super League – it is like having a second job, with a lot of travelling.”

She added: “I am so grateful to the headteacher Jamie Anderson and to the school for allowing me to pursue this dream.”

Headteacher Jamie Anderson said: “We are all incredibly proud of Megan getting to the top of her sport as an official."