Olympic champion Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill has returned to her former school in Sheffield for the unveiling of a heritage plaque celebrating the achievements of state-educated pupils.

King Ecgbert School in Dore was selected as one of the first schools in the country to receive a plaque as part of the Made in State School campaign, led by charity The 93% Club.

Dame Jessica, who won gold in the heptathlon at the London 2012 Olympics, attended the school between 1997 and 2004. The campus already has a sports hall named in her honour.

The campaign aims to celebrate successful people who attended state schools and give pupils a greater sense of pride in their education and backgrounds.

Sophie Pender, founder and CEO of The 93% Club, said: “Too often, we talk as if we succeed in spite of state schools, when in fact they have produced some of this country’s greatest talent. Jessica is the perfect example. She walked the corridors of King Ecgbert School and went on to become one of Britain’s best athletes.

“We want every pupil who walks past this plaque on their school gates to know that someone who walked the same path – from their community and their city – has made it, and that they can too. That’s why we’re putting the red heritage plaques on schools around the country, so we can give state schoolers a piece of history and pride in where they come from.”

Paul Haigh, headteacher at King Ecgbert School, said: “We are hugely proud that Jessica is one of our own, and honoured that the public chose her as one of the first state school icons to be recognised in this way. Her achievements inspire people right across Sheffield, but for our pupils they carry a special meaning: she sat in the same classrooms and walked through the same gates as they do every day.

“This plaque will be a lasting reminder to every young person at King Ecgbert that they can achieve whatever they set their sights on.”

Dame Jessica was selected following a nationwide public nomination process to identify people whose achievements could inspire pupils at state schools.

Other inaugural recipients of the campaign include Sir David Attenborough, Dame Jacqueline Wilson, Stormzy and Harry Kane.

The 93% Club was founded at the University of Bristol in 2016 to support students from state-school backgrounds. The Made in State School campaign aims to establish its red heritage plaques as a nationally recognised symbol of achievement and pride in state education.