PRIMARY school youngsters have undertaken a challenging mission – working with commando survival experts as part of a 12-week programme.

Marine recruits at English Bicknor School and St Anthony’s School, Cinderford, have been put through their paces by the Elite Commando Survival School, as part of team building sessions combining physical exercise and class-based work.

They’ve been crawling under nets and through tunnels, balancing on logs and carrying weights and tackling a challenging assault course, while also learning practical skills like first aid.

English Bicknor headteacher Hayley Alliston said: “The programme is based on the Commando values of resilience, integrity, self-discipline, excellence, courage, determination, unselfishness, confidence and cheerfulness in the face of adversity.

“The Year Four to Six pupils are fully engaged and love it. Some of the training is challenging, but team work helps them to have a go.

“Practical team building sessions are combined with classroom based work and physical training, and one session taught the pupils about basic first aid.”

Pupil Keira-Leigh Lewis said: “It’s really exciting, active and fully adventurous,” while schoolmate Daniel Turner added: “Sometimes it’s really hard, but it’s too much fun to give up.”

A spokeswoman for St Anthony’s said the junior classes had developed life skills such as first aid and survival, attitudes towards behaviour and team building skills.

“Some examples of the activities we have taken part in are starting fires, team games, obstacle courses, healthy living and goal setting. This is a great link to our physical education curriculum along with our PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education).