A Kingsbury Green Academy teacher who trained to become a kick-boxing instructor at the age of 52 has been taking her skills out into the community.

Patty Kelly, head of religious studies, citizenship and PHSE at Kingsbury Green Academy in Calne decided four years ago that she needed to practice what she preached in terms of maintaining a healthy mind and body.

“We know that to keep mentally healthy it’s important to maintain physical fitness, sleep well, engage with people, take exercise and learn new skills,” she explained.

“I realised I needed to follow my own advice and learn something completely new, and happened to see an advert for a class called Elite Ladies Kickboxing.

"I went along to try it, and the man who ran it, Tim Benyon, was confident I could do it, despite being 52. And he was right - as soon as I hit that first focus pad I was hooked."

Patty kept her Year 8 students up to date with her progress, and they gave her plenty of moral support. “As teachers we should be models for life-long learning,” she said. “At school, we are not just teaching students facts, we are giving them the skills and confidence to explore and try new experiences that can enhance their lives and those of others.

"I didn’t think a couple of years ago that kickboxing would help me with teaching, but it’s turned out to do exactly that. My students have seen me get fitter and pay more attention to nutrition, and I’ve fed back to them how it’s helped me.”

Within a year Ms Kelly became a trainee instructor at Corsham Elite Ladies Kickboxing and then progressed to assistant instructor. In January 2023 ELK launched Corsham Juniors Kickboxing, where she is the lead instructor.

“One of the pupils in my tutor group has joined our ladies group already. I didn’t consider myself physically fit, but it’s amazing how it soon improved my confidence, flexibility, balance and general health.

"I think as a teacher my job is to support students to cope with life outside school as well as within it, and kickboxing really is a skill that can enhance your mental and physical health for life.”