Children at a Hartlepool primary school have joined forces with the town’s latest dancing and exercise craze to help strengthen links with the local community.

Pupils at West Park Primary School recently took time out to team up with the Silent Steppers at the town’s Ward Jackson Park.

It was one of a series of events held throughout the week by the Coniscliffe Road school to promote anti-bullying and inclusion.

Silent Steppers is the brainchild of Lyndsay Codner who runs the exercise and dance initiative as part of Wellness, Lifestyle and Learning Academy.

Speaking to pupils, Lyndsay introduced her co-workers – Matthew, Demi and Alfie – who all have disabilities.

She said: “It was brilliant to work alongside West Park pupils for three days at Ward Jackson Park.

“Everyone in society should be treated equally and respect one another. Just because someone looks different or has a disability is no reason why they should be bullied.

“Silent Steppers has been a huge success since its launch last year. It creates an opportunity for people to get away from the daily pressures and express themselves in their own little bubble through music and chat via headphones.”

Headteacher Louise Sheffield said: “We held a number of events throughout the week to highlight that West Park will not tolerate bullying in any form and that we are a fully inclusive school.

“Children loved participating in the Silent Steppers events and found it a very fulfilling and rewarding experience.

“Building links and supporting our local community is a high priority for us at West Park and we are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with Lyndsay and her fantastic Silent Steppers team.

“As a school, we look forward to working on other projects in the future to further strengthen our community links.”

West Park is one of ten primary schools across Hartlepool, Teesside and County Durham under the umbrella of Ad Astra Academy Trust.

West Park Primary School still has vacancies for its Teach to Train scheme in 2026 if anyone is interested in becoming a teacher. For further details, email Traintoteach@adastraacademytrust.com

For further information about Silent Steppers can be found on Facebook.