Walk to school was the perfect week to change habits. Leeds City Council’s Influencing Travel Behaviour Team asked the children of Leeds to help ‘Turn the leaves green’ by choosing to walk, scoot or cycle to school. The green Walk to School Week theme coincided with the work already being undertaken throughout Leeds to improve air quality.

Schools across Leeds were asked to encourage pupils to complete active journeys to and from school in order to reduce traffic around schools, thereby reducing air pollution and making the area around schools a more pleasant place for all. Incentives were provided to help promote the event. There was also a competition with a prize awarded from Leeds City Council for the school with the greenest tree.

We are pleased to announce that St Paul’s Catholic Primary School’s ‘Tree’ was chosen as the winning tree. St Paul’s Catholic Primary School have won a fun day of activities that will be delivered by the Leeds City Council Road Safety Team.

St. Pauls tracked their tree every day, they shared and tweeted the progress. It was amazing to watch how their tree flourished as the week went along. Well done 🙂

We would like to thank everyone for their participation in the event and we look forward to next year’s Walk to School Week 21^st – 25^th May 2020.

Going forward

The Green tree walking / sustainable travel promotion ‘leaf’ your car at home has a longevity that can be used termly as part of a longer term walking promotion to reduce car use within your school.

Here are some more ideas to promote Walking to School

Park and Stride

A park and stride scheme is ideal for families living too far away from school to be able to walk. It means that children can at least walk part of the way to school and is great for parents who then have to drive on to work.

It involves parents parking at a set location (perhaps a local supermarket, leisure centre or pub) away from the school and children walking the rest of the way, either by themselves, with other children or with their parent or carer. If you think a Park and Stride scheme would work at your school, then we may be able to support you in setting it up.

Walking Bus

Walking buses operate in many schools around Leeds. A ‘Walking Bus’ is a group of children walking to or from school under the supervision of at least two trained adults, one leading the group (‘driver’) and one at the rear (‘conductor’). Walking buses are usually run by parent volunteers. They follow a set route and timetable, with pick up points – ‘bus stops’ at the start and along the way. Our Walking Bus pack (PDF 321KB) provides you with more information.

Sign up for Modeshift STARS

Modeshift STARS is an accreditation scheme that supports the development and implementation of School Travel Plans and recognises schools that have shown excellence in supporting cycling, walking and other forms of sustainable travel.  The scheme is completely free of charge for schools https://www.modeshiftstars.org/.

Go Green

Go Green rewards pupils for travelling to school sustainably. Pupils that either walk, scoot, cycle, car share, park and stride or catch the bus can have their Go Green card stamped.  When the card is full pupils can receive a rewards, such as extra play time. Download the electronic pack from the Road safety and sustainable travel for schools web page.