Ms Grant insisted the lessons were much more than just clowning around.

She added: “It gives the children the chance to shine and is another way of boosting children’s confidence. They also learn how to work together, with a lot of trust involved.

“Some children are so good at the plate-spinning, we joke we may have to keep an eye on the plates during lunchtime.

“I remember one boy was struggling at juggling but then all of a sudden nailed it. He was an instant hero with his friends and could not wait to tell his parents.”

But, while pupils are flourishing with their new-found skills, head teacher Bernard Cassidy admitted he was happy to stick with juggling paperwork.

He said: “I am afraid I am only good at the metaphorical juggling, but I am not bad at the plate- spinning.

“But this has been brilliant. As teachers, we can forget what it is like to be a learner, and learning the circus skills took us back to being a child in a lesson.”

The school’s motto is “Creating Learners For The Future” and the circus skills are among a raft of extra-curricular classes put on each week in a fixed section of the timetable known as “Golden Time”.

Other popular classes include yoga and cooking, and complement the school’s bid to engage pupils.

Pupils enjoying the lessons included Anna McGinn, 10, who said: “It is great being able to try new things.”