Leaving the car at home reduces congestion at the school gates, making the area safer for pupils. Walking or cycling to school helps improve pupils’ health and fitness and tackles the rising levels of childhood obesity. It also makes pupils more alert and ready to learn. Pupils who walk or cycle can learn about their local area, as well as the environmental benefits of leaving the car behind. They can also put their road safety and cycle training into practice.
Many schools are involved in initiatives to encourage parents and pupils to change their mode of travel from the car to walking, cycling or public transport.
Walk to School Week
Walk to School Week is in May every year, in 2010 it will be the 17th to the 21st of May. Bolton’s School Travel Adviser provide resources of passports, wallcharts and certificates to all primary schools in Bolton. In 2009 75% of all primary schools took part - despite it being a rainy week! One eight-year-old pupil from a school in Horwich said: “When I got to school I felt really awake and ready to learn, I feel really healthy doing this.”
If your school does not take part then why not encourage parents and staff to get involved? Your school could also do this at the same time a another themed-week, for example if you are having a "Healthy week" or a "Green week". Children love walking to school when they can chatter to their friends and family. A good saying for our weather is the one about "There's no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing…"
International Walk to School Month is October and many schools do take part. Throughout the month, schools all round the world will be running activities to get their pupils walking to school. Many add up the kilometres to see how far around the world they get to that month!
WOW
WOW can mean Walk On Wednesdays or Walk Once a Week. Many schools have set up their own schemes with prizes for the class with the highest numbers of walkers every week. They are seeing significant results and far fewer cars outside on these days. Many also join in with the national WOW scheme run by Living Streets – a link to the website is given on the right.
Walking Bus
There are two types of walking bus: one is informal where parents group together and walk with their own children along the same route every day; the other is formal where CRB checked volunteers (normally parents) are trained in how to escort children safely along a risk-assessed route. Parents take their children to “bus stops” along the fixed route at certain times and the children are picked up by the bus and escorted t school by the volunteers. Bolton Council’s Road Safety Team offer training to volunteers. Please see the Walking Bus Guidelines document that is available to download from this page.
Step Up
Secondary school pupils have different needs from primary pupils. They are more likely to travel on their own to school, but due to further distances from home, many are still being driven by parents. This results in high congestion outside many secondary schools. Schools want to encourage more use of public transport and Living Streets have set up the Step Up scheme encouraging young people to choose walking as a better way to travel. See the website below.
National Bike Week
Bike Week is the biggest nationwide cycling event in the UK. It aims to get more people cycling as a leisure activity and for commuting to school and work. Lots of events are held – see the website on the external links to the right.
If you require more information about travelling to schoool, please contact Carole Heaton using the contact details found on the right of this page.