ISOLATION has not meant inactivity for children at Delamere Academy, who are staying in shape thanks to a daily PE challenge set by their teachers.

With all schools closed to everyone except children of key workers because of the coronavirus crisis, pupils are required to learn in lockdown for the foreseeable future.

Inventive teachers at the Stoney Lane school have been delivering virtual lessons to children's homes, and a big part of the quarantine curriculum has been daily PE challenges.

Members of staff post videos of themselves taking on running, jumping, throwing and skills tests to encourage children to get active.

Deputy headteacher Ricky Huddart said: "Staff have been working really hard to give lots of learning opportunities to the children.

"Parents and children have responded really well to the online learning platforms, and daily videos from staff are a lovely way to demonstrate specific lessons, read bedtime stories, show experiments and even have a joke together.

"We have loved seeing what the children have been up to at home and how they are looking after their mental health and wellbeing.

"An integral part of it is keeping children active, and a few of us have set challenges for the children.

“It's been great to see them take on the tasks, and they usually beat us."

PE teacher Tom Freeman added: "For my daily PE Challenge, I film myself for example seeing how many continuous catches I make with a tennis ball against a wall, or how many speed bounces I can do in 30 seconds.

"The children are encouraged to practice the skill and aim to set personal bests.

“Anyone who wants to can post their videos on Twitter, which really helps to keep motivation up."

Using the latest technology, teachers are beaming lessons direct to kitchens, sitting rooms and bedrooms several times a day to make sure pupils see familiar faces and maintain morale.

In addition to core subjects, children have been cooking, producing art masterpieces, entering competitions and learning to ride a bike without stabilisers.