Girls swap school games for gym

Schoolgirls have been swapping PE classes for the gym as part of a new pilot scheme in north-west London.

The 12-week pilot project in Brent has seen up to 1,000 secondary pupils take up various activities including salsa, aqua aerobics and spinning lessons.

Go London aims to introduce a range of trendy fitness routines to make sports and exercising "cool" among girls.

The project, funded by NHS London, will be extended to schools in east and south London.

Andree Deane, chief executive officer of the Fitness Industry Association, which is running the scheme, said: "There is a massive drop-out rate among young girls doing sport around the age of 14, and this can last for a long time, if not forever.

Wembley High School is piloting the scheme

"It is a self image, self-esteem issue combined with a perception that being sporty is not 'cool'.

"The FIA wanted to change that and our activity programme has been designed to be relevant and trendy."

Girls from Kingsbury High School, Preston Manor High School, Claremont High School and Wembley High Technology College in Brent attended gym sessions at David Lloyd club in Sudbury Hill.

Schoolgirls from Tom Hood School, Leytonstone School, Walthamstow School for Girls, and Willowfield School, will take lessons for two months during their summer term.