A school has brought in a masseuse to calm stressed pupils preparing for GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education) and boost their performance in the exams.

The 30-minute sessions are being offered to 15 and 16-yearolds who are considered at risk of missing out on good grades.

Twenty-five have had regular back massages from professional therapist Karen Etchells since the scheme was introduced three months ago at Priory Community School in Westonsuper-Mare, Somerset.

The first massage is free, but pupils must pay ￡5 a time after that for the sessions
which take place once a week on a Friday.

Headmaster Neville Coles said they had proved particularly popular among the boys--especially the rugby team.

He hopes the initiative will give GCSE results a lift.

"This is a high-pressure time for Year 11 students," Mr Coles said. "They work extremely hard and do get stressed. We have basically employed a masseuse to come in for a day. It is a mechanism to de-stress the kids and improve their exam results. "

"At a time when we are constantly encouraging our Year 11 students to be at their very best and revise for their GCSEs we also want to provide relaxation activities. Massage is just one of these."

Mr Coles said 32 per cent of pupils scored five GCSEs at grades A to C in the year before last . This had risen to 55 per cent last year and the school was aiming for 60 per cent this year.

为了让学生在英国普通中学教育文凭考试（GCSE）中取得好成绩，一所中学想出了让学生在按摩中放松心情的减压妙招。

那些在GCSE考试中有可能考不好的15、16岁的学生会接受每次30分钟的按摩服务。

三个月以来，英国萨莫塞特郡韦斯顿市的一所名叫Priory Community school的中学请来了专业理疗师凯伦• 伊契尔斯为25名学生提供定期的背部按摩。

第一次的按摩是免费的，不过之后学生们需要以每次五英镑的价格在每周五享受按摩服务。

这所中学的校长内维尔• 科尔斯表示，学校的这一举措受到了学生们的普遍青睐，学校橄榄球队的小伙子们尤其喜欢。

科尔斯还希望，按摩服务能够帮助学生在GCSE考试中取得更好的成绩。

科尔斯说：“对于11年级的学生来说，现在正是压力很大的时期。因为他们目前的功课很重，面临的压力也很大，所以我们特意请来了一位按摩师，帮他们放松身心，提高考试成绩。”

“除了按摩以外，我们还为学生提供了很多其他放松身心的活动。这些活动归根到底还是为了不断地激励学生努力学习，取得更好的GCSE成绩。”

科尔斯校长说，该校学生前年参加GCSE考试时五科成绩甲级至丙级（A-C）的通过率为32%，去年这一比例提高至55%，今年希望能更进一步，达到60%。