ITV, STV, Sky and INEOS have come together in a national campaign to encourage schools to sign up to The Daily Mile to give children a healthy start in life and improve attainment in class.

Launching on Saturday 24th September, the TV advertising campaign titled ‘Thrive’ highlights the powerful impact that The Daily Mile has on children’s physical and mental wellbeing helping them to thrive in school.

The campaign is backed by research from the Universities of Stirling, Edinburgh and Highlands & Islands which found that The Daily Mile significantly improves a child’s mood, concentration and memory - enhancing their ability to learn, making teachers’ lives easier. At a time when many schools are still playing ‘catch up’ from learning setbacks caused by the pandemic, the back-to-school campaign calls on teachers in primary schools to adopt The Daily Mile, which is proven to improve attainment, health and wellbeing outcomes for children.

The Daily Mile is inclusive and accessible to all. It encourages children to run, jog, wheel or walk at their own pace outdoors for 15 minutes every day. By improving children’s concentration levels and focus, this simple initiative pays back hours of effective learning in the classroom.

There are now more than three million children in over 15,500 schools and nurseries, spanning 87 countries, taking part as more schools are joining every day. The Daily Mile has set out its ambition to reach 10 million children in the next 10 years.

The Daily Mile was first developed in 2012 by Scottish headteacher Elaine Wyllie MBE. Since 2016 it has been supported by INEOS, who funded the creation of the advert.

ITV formed a partnership with The Daily Mile in 2018, helping the campaign to generate over 11,000 additional schools sign ups and nearly two million more children participating since the partnership began.

Founder of The Daily Mile, Elaine Wyllie MBE, said: “Thank you to ITV, STV, Sky and INEOS for creating this campaign which I hope will raise awareness of The Daily Mile. Helping children to focus in class makes teachers’ lives easier. 15 minutes outside pays back hours of effective learning so teachers can get the most from what little time they have in the classroom.”

ITV’s Director of Social Purpose, Susie Braun, said: “We’re incredibly proud of the success of ITV’s partnership with the Daily Mile, now in its fifth year. 15 minutes of exercise can have a really notable effect on children’s health, and also help them focus in class - which is especially important after lost schooling during the pandemic. We hope this new campaign encourages many more teachers and parents to get their schools involved.”

Group Director of Bigger Picture, Sky, Fiona Ball, said: “It’s incredible to see the continued success of The Daily Mile initiative, helping more young people get active across the UK. At Sky, we’re very proud to play our part, as we strive to provide young people of all backgrounds a voice and support for a better future for themselves and communities in which they live in.”

Teachers and parents are encouraged to visit www.thedailymile.co.uk for further information on how they can participate in The Daily Mile.