A head teacher has recruited a physiotherapist in a bid to slash staff sickness rates caused by bad backs.

More than 700 sick days have been taken by 35 teachers and support workers at Greenhead High, Keighley, because of problems like sciatica, trapped nerves and slipped discs in the last 12 months.

Had the school covered for every day’s absence with supply teachers, it would have cost it £140,000.

Head teacher Tricia McCarthy has now enlisted the help of Jonathan Daniel, of Harrogate-based FitBack, as part of her Fit for Work programme. It is believed to be the first scheme of its kind at a school in the country.

Mr Daniel is holding advice clinics at the school to try to improve staff health and well-being. Mrs McCarthy, who sought similar advice to cure a 20-year back problem, said: “It certainly worked for me, so we started to think about how many of our people were having time off. I had no concept whatsoever of just how many days we were losing and quickly realised it was an opportune time to tackle the situation.”

The school has paid for two on-site physiotherapy clinic days involving sessions with 20 teaching and support staff who are, or have been, suffering injuries resulting in time off.

“The early response is that it’s extremely worthwhile and we will take it forward by organising further initiatives such as back pain prevention workshops and awareness days, along with exercise classes,” Mrs McCarthy said. And she hoped the programme would drive up pupils’ attainment.

The school was graded “inadequate” in an Ofsted report published in January but was judged to be making “satisfactory progress” following a monitoring visit in June.

Mrs McCarthy said: “It’s all about delivering consistency in the way our staff work with and support students. If we’re to continue to raise standards, we need our people teaching in class and other key staff supporting the students.”

The school’s vice-chairman of governors, Steve Grasham, backed the scheme. He said: “There have been members of staff that have been off with long-term illness for all sorts of reasons, not just back pain, and we have to respond to that. Children learn more from teachers they are used to working with.”

Coun Michael Kelly, Bradford Council’s executive member for children’s services and education, said: “However off the wall, if it’s driven by the school and the school thinks it’s going to work, you have got to support it.”

Mr Daniel said: “The initiative at Greenhead is a first for schools and we will monitor the results carefully with a view to rolling out the service to other education sector providers.”