Yoga sessions offered to students at Atherstone school to help with exam stress

Children at two schools in Atherstone and Polesworth will soon be able to take part in yoga sessions provided by staff from the borough council's leisure centres.

Instructors will deliver the subsidised sessions – which will meet coronavirus guidelines – to Year 11 students from The Queen Elizabeth Academy and The Polesworth School from next month.

Ten pupils at each school will be able to take part in each of the 18 sessions which will continue until June.

Councillors at this week's community and environment board meeting of North Warwickshire Borough Council were told that the aim was to support students who have found it difficult, mentally and physically, in their return to school during the pandemic or to help those students who are struggling with exam-related stress.

A report explained: "The sessions will teach appropriate coping strategies as well as promoting the benefits of physical activity. The programme is designed to create a pathway for the students from the funded programme into the regular sessions delivered at the leisure facilities.

"Subject to coronavirus restrictions, the last six weeks of the programme will provide the students with a pass, giving them access to all of the activities on offer at the leisure centres to further embed the importance of physical activity on physical and mental wellbeing."

The report also outlined how leisure centre staff had engaged with the public during lockdown by providing services including free online swimming resources and various free online drop-in sessions for groups. A 'paid for' online Zoom fitness class timetable was drawn up together with a Zoom gymnastics programme at Coleshill Leisure Centre and Polesworth Sports Centre.

The report added: "The 'paid for' services generated approximately £1,000 in income receipts while the free services received positive levels of engagement."