BRIGHT young things know how keep healthy is just as important as academic success.

The Gates Primary School held its annual Heath and Fitness Week recently to teach pupils how to look after their minds and bodies.

As well as finding out the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, youngsters also had a chance to try different activities to inspire them to be more active outside of school.

The week involved specialist coaches in golf, rock climbing, judo, yoga and many others coming into school to speak to the children.

And parents were also invited to get in on the act, with at a recent health and fitness week pupils and their mums and dads enjoying being put through their paces in a series of fitness sessions before the start of school.

Children also took part in a Mental Health Day as part of the week to teach them how to prevent and cope with any issues they many have.

The school says sports and personal fitness is a top priority and has worked hard to implement strategies to help improve the health of its pupils.

This includes the daily mile, in which children and adults run, jog or walk for fifteen minutes every day. In this time, most people will average a mile or more. Greater Manchester is hoping to become the first Daily Mile city-region, where all adults and children take part in the activity.

The Daily Mile was launched by Cllr John Byrne, cabinet member for sport and culture, who cut a ribbon in July.

Recent data collated by the school showed that 100 per cent of pupils have shown increased levels of fitness over the past nine months and around 60 per cent recording "exceptional" progress.

Headteacher Karen Forshaw said: "At The Gates we are committed to the health and well -being of our pupils and Health and Fitness Week provides children amazing opportunities to develop this further. The children thoroughly enjoy the week and all that it has to offer."

Staff and pupils took part in a run around school grounds to raise £1431.30 for Cancer Research UK as part of the special week.