Hartlepool pupils weren't monkeying around during 10-minute health challenge

As part of National Fitness Day, the youngsters at the town’s Grange Primary School joined in the 10-minute challenge.

The school, along with others throughout Hartlepool, were challenged to get 10,000 school children to be active for 10 minutes.

Adam Merritt, assistant headteacher at the Owton Manor Lane school, said they decided to use the day to launch their new Daily 10 project.

He said: “Children will participate in 10 minutes continuous exercise every day as part of a wider national drive to tackle childhood obesity and improve pupil wellbeing.”

To get the event underway the school worked with students from Hartlepool Sixth Form College, who held taster workshops with the children.

And, Hartlepool United mascot, H’Angus, also went along to the school to support the children and get his daily exercise.

Mr Merritt, said: “The sixth form students carried out half hour sessions with the children and then at 10am all the students went outside to to the ten minures of exercise.

“So we had 420 plus children, from the two-year-olds through to the Year 6 students, all out doing exercise at the same time.”

He said all the youngsters were taking part in a variety of activities to suit their ages and abilities.

They had traditional playground games through to team sports.

The assistant headteacher said the children thoroughly enjoyed the event and from now all the classes will be doing ten minutes exercise every day, on top of normal PE lessons, but not all at the same time.

Mr Merritt said: “If children have healthy lifestyles then it is going to have an impact on their work in the classroom.”