Primary schools in Suffolk are being urged to mark the start of the new school year by signing up to a campaign aimed at inspiring pupils to be more active.

Live Well Suffolk is calling for schools to support children to increase their levels of physical activity after a recent report by ukactive found half of seven-year-olds are not achieving the recommended target of being active for 60 minutes a day.

Four schools – St Helen’s Primary School and The Oaks Community Primary School in Ipswich, Trimley St Mary Primary School and Tollgate Primary School in Bury St Edmunds – have already signed up.

Ali Clements, Live Well Suffolk’s schools and young people’s services coordinator, said: “We really want to encourage children and young people across the county to get involved with activities in their local community, whether that’s joining their local martial arts or trampolining clubs, or even groups like Cubs or Brownies. Being active for 60 minutes each day is really important for children’s development, wellbeing and long term health.”

Chloe Hunt, 15, from Bury St Edmunds, joined her local boxing club, the Eastgates ABEA Boxing Club in Rougham, after completing one of Live Well Suffolk’s children’s weight management courses. She said: “Before I signed up to the Live Well Suffolk course I didn’t exercise very much at all and ate a lot of unhealthy food. I found exercise hard as I got tired really easily.”

After working with Live Well, Chloe managed to lose 2st.