A FITNESS innovation introduced by a Scottish head teacher is being adopted in schools across the world.

The Daily Mile is being rolled out in at least 20 countries along with other schools in Scotland after research showed it improved the academic results and behaviour as well as the health of pupils.

First introduced five years ago by the head teacher of St Ninian’s Primary in Stirling, the idea has gone viral with interest boosted after the publication of a study by researchers at Essex University.

They reported in January that children in an East London school who had participated in 15 minutes a day of exercise had performed 25 per cent better than predicted in reading and maths in SATs tests and 17 per cent better in writing.

The Daily Mile was started by Elaine Wyllie who was shocked at how unfit her pupils were.

She started them on a regime of regular jogging round the school field and when other schools cottoned on to the benefits the idea began to spread.

“Once it got out, you’ve no idea,” said Wyllie. “There are 550 schools in Holland doing the Daily Mile. It’s in 20 countries. It’s in the USA. We’re going over there later in the year. At a very conservative estimate, there are half a million children a day doing it, getting out of breath and healthy.”

She predicts that more studies on the Daily Mile by the universities of Stirling and Edinburgh will show similar results to the Essex research.

She said that once the exercise had been introduced at St Ninian’s there were widespread benefits.

“Self-esteem, confidence, and all the individuals with challenging behaviour improved,” she said.

“At St Ninian’s, after two and a half years of running, we were almost half the national rates of obesity for younger children and older children. There doesn’t seem to be a downside in the Daily Mile.

“We have a nation of children who come in with up to 30 per cent of them overweight or obese in P1, and they go out nearly 50 per cent, on our watch. And of course, it’s disproportionately poor kids,” said Wyllie.

“Teachers and head teachers know health and wellbeing comes before their [pupils’] learning. Yet we’re presiding over children who, on our watch, get slower and fatter as they go through school. It’s very much a case of if not us, then who, if not now, then, when?

“The only way you can grab this problem is in school and nursery because that’s where the children are every day. It’s not out-of-school care. It’s not clubs or breakfast clubs. It’s in the curriculum. We have a health and wellbeing curriculum. The Daily Mile is a solution, not just the message.”

Over 1000 primary schools across Scotland have now adopted the scheme, a figure that has been welcomed by MSP Fulton MacGregor, of Holyrood’s Education Committee.

He said it was “a great example of innovation in Scottish education that has gained international acclaim”. “The Daily Mile challenge sees children walking or running a mile each day to develop their physical, emotional and social health, and helps to fight childhood obesity,” said MacGregor.

“Not only is there a wealth of positive benefits in the short-term, the Daily Mile challenge also encourages children to pick up healthy habits that will hopefully stay with them for life.”