PUPILS have been given a sports coach to work on getting them into shape every lunchtime until October.

In an age when children play more computer games than team sports, the youngsters at Fairfield Primary School, in Stockton, are exercising with the help of the new coach.

Funding from the Extended Schools Programme has allowed the school to bring the coach into school every lunch hour until October.

Each day, the coach organises games and activities for a different year group, enabling them to spend their spare time constructively, playing a variety of sports, from basketball to cricket.

In addition, one of the lunchtime supervisory staff is supporting the coach - following her own training for a sport leadership course.

Headteacher Judith Harrison said the youngsters were taking part in structured sporting activities, such as games where they learnt to be part of a team, care for each other and acquire additional skills such as self-discipline.

She said: "The scheme is going very well and the children are really enjoying their lunchtime sporting activities.

"The activities are helping them to focus and to develop their social skills very positively.

"We hope they will seek to take up sport outside of school as part of the enjoyment and experiences they are having."

Paul Bambrough, young persons lifestyle manager for Tees Active, said: "Tees Active is working with a number of schools to improve physical activity for their pupils, and this involves children participating in our exciting Active Start programme. The feedback from teachers and pupils alike is extremely positive.

"In an age of computers, where the games youngsters play are on screen, many are finding this a welcome change and it will hopefully encourage them to take up sporting activities out of school."

Derek Ward, interim head of health improvement at North Tees Primary Care Trust, said he welcomed the additional sports lessons.

"We would fully support anything that increases sporting activities," he said.

"From our perspective, obesity is one of our top priorities, particularly childhood obesity.

"Offering different types of activities and sports is really important because not everybody wants to play football or cricket.

"Anything that is about giving kids more chance to get active is fantastic."