A personal trainer is helping to put a set of students through their paces as part of virtual PE lessons.

Valley Invicta Primary School in Aylesford is hosting the sessions while, during its period of remote learning, the school's PE lead Abigail Hookey has also arranged for pupils to get involved in a range of other virtual activities, ranging from “The Daily Mile at Home” challenge to bunny hop competitions.

But it is the HIIT workout sessions, which have been led by personal trainer Jac Ward who mainly works with clients in Maidstone and Medway, that have proved to be the biggest hit with the schoolchildren.

"Being in a lockdown, she has been out of a job so she offered to do weekly 30-minute HIIT classes with the children which was amazing," Miss Hookey said.

"Teachers got involved, parents got involved in the background and, at one point, I think we had 120 children on one zoom call doing the activity which was amazing.

"The children’s feedback for this was so good.

"I think it’s definitely something, going back into school, that we are going to try and keep up with local gyms and local instructors.

"We’ll see if they can do some HIIT training with the children because I don’t think it’s something you necessarily do in school.

"But the children have really enjoyed it."

Miss Hookey is eager to ensure Valley Invicta Primary School is able to keep their pupils active once children return to school.

She said: "I have already started planning how we are going to engage with the children back in school with The Daily Mile, and we are going to do a race around the world in 100 days.

"Hopefully that will get them back active.

"Obviously, we will be carrying on with PE lessons, just getting them out as much as possible.

"We have just invested in a climbing wall for the playground where the children are going to paint the background of the wall and we have got the climbing bits to put on.

"We have recently purchased some table tennis tables.

"So it’s about getting the children involved in different sports as well."

Miss Hookey added she has hired two students as PE ambassadors who will help assist her in making sure PE lessons are enjoyable for the pupils.

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