Pupils ditch the car and walk to school
Children and parents at Milverton Primary School are doing their bit to help cut congestion and promote healthy lifestyles.
As part of national Walk to School Month, children at Milverton Primary School are taking part in a special Walk to School Day on Tuesday, 21st October.
The school has arranged a number of activities to help tackle the growing problem of congestion and thinking about more sustainable ways to travel to and from school.
Sustainable charity Action 21 and officers from Warwickshire County Council are getting on board to help make the Walking Day a day to remember.
Children will be having themed assemblies, taking part in Step and Spy workshops, pedometer activities, pedestrian training- Kerbsafe as well as having the opportunity to have a puncture repair workshop.
Also, part of the day there will be a model competition where children will be designing a model with a sustainable travel theme using recycled materials.
Milverton Primary School was among a number of schools in Warwickshire to have a School Travel Plan approved earlier this year.
The plan incorporates a number of measures to reduce the number of cars being used on the school run. This Walking Day builds on the aims of their school travel plan and as part of the plan the school were given the opportunity to run a number of incentive schemes that will be launched on the day.
In an assembly the class with the least car travellers will be presented with either a soft toy for the infant class and a trophy for the junior class.
Headteacher Ben Wilde said: “We are really keen to be actively promoting walking to school, and hope the children will enjoy taking part in the activities that have been arranged.
“We want to reduce the number of cars and pollution around our school and increase safety in our local environment. By walking or cycling to school we are promoting fit, healthy children with active, observant minds - all ready for the day’s lessons!”
According to the Department for Health, about half of all primary school children are not walking to school. It is also clear that the number of cars on the school run is increasing.
Cllr Martin Heatley, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for the Environment, said: “This trend is contributing to increased levels of childhood obesity and congestion making days like this one at Milveton Primary School really important.”