Active Travel
Active Travel
Our school promotes walking & cycling because:
It helps keep our learners fitter and healthy and research shows being active can help learners concentrate better and increase their levels of achievement.
By walking or cycling our school community can help reduce the number of vehicles on the road making it safer for pedestrians and cyclists easier for local residents. It also reduces the pollution caused from exhaust fumes, helping combat climate change and create cleaner air.
Did you Know?
One in four cars on the road are on the school run and greenhouse gas emissions from road transport made up around a fifth of the UK's total GHG emissions. Greenhouse gases contribute to climate change. Air pollution causes 64,000 deaths annually in the UK, and a reduction of 1.5 years in average life expectancy. Air pollution affects the rates not just of respiratory diseases but also cardiovascular diseases like heart failure. More than a third of children are overweight (including obese) by the time they leave primary school, child obesity strongly indicates to adult obesity - which in turn can lead to poor health outcomes including type 2 diabetes, heart diseases, depression and premature death.
Children and Young people aged 13-16 (Year 9-11) are the least likely to be active and travel to and from school can contribute up to half of a young person's overall physical activity.
Just 34% of secondary school children walk to school and only 3% cycle to school.
Why Active Travel is Important:
Clean Air - reducing cars help reduce air pollution around the school gates.
Helps tackle climate change - by reducing greenhouse gas emissions from cars.
Leaners are Healthier and Fitter - young people should have at least an hour of physical activity every day - waling or cycling to school contributes to this time.
Helps Leaners unwind at the end of the day - walking or cycling home gives them time to think.
Improves Concentration - Studies have shown that learners who are active and ready to learn, do better in their studies.
Gives learners more Independence - walking or cycling without parents helps them develop skills for independent living when they are adults.
Reduces Congestion - as there are less cars on the road, making it more pleasant environment for everyone.
Quicker than sitting in Traffic - Improves road safety at the school gate - because there is reduced traffic and parked cars.
It's cheaper to walk or cycle - as it saves on fuel.
Other things that can help
- Living Streets – advice and resources on walking to school
- Travelwest journey planning
- Better by Bike route planner
- Sustrans (UK cycling charity)
- Better by Bike cycling resources
- How to correctly fit a bike helmet guide
- ‘Komoot’ route planner and tracker