A primary school in Sussex is introducing a form of Swedish massage for pupils to improve behaviour, concentration and children's respect for each other.

The pupils, who remain fully-clothed, take turns to gently draw patterns on each other's heads, shoulders and backs while the teacher reads a story.

The sessions at Barcombe Primary School in Lewes last just five or ten minutes and can be used any time during the school day, although teachers find it is particularly useful after breaks and lunch times to calm pupils down and help them focus on the next lesson.

Headteacher Barbara Dyer said: "We are a Church of England school so we encourage kindness and caring for each other and treating people with respect.

"There has been a big improvement in the children's behaviour and general thoughtfulness.

"The children have been talking about it non-stop and have even been asking their parents if they can practise on them. They love it."

Sandra Hooper, an instructor with the Massage in Schools Programme, takes sessions with the pupils once a week for about two months to teach them the techniques.

Ms Hooper said: "It is more than just relaxation. It is not unlike Jamie Oliver's school dinners programme in that this is about creating a positive environment to enhance pupils' learning.

"Particularly when kids first start school and they come from what is a very tactile home environment with lots of cuddles into a school environment, they are not necessarily sure what they do.

"This gives them a very safe and structured way to continue to touch each other and learn about respect and boundaries at the same time."

Parent Carmen Slijpen is so impressed with the scheme that she wants to train as an instructor.

She said: "My daughter Luca absolutely loves it. She doesn't really come home from school with stories but this was the first thing she said the day they started it. She did the whole massage routine on my back.

"I think it is a very good way of helping children overcome problems at school because the massage shows they all care."

The international programme was first introduced in Britain in 2000 and is now used in about 100 schools. It has also been taken on as a tool for the Anti-Bullying Alliance.

For more information visit the web site www.massageinschools.com or email sandrahooper@hotmail.com