FEATURE FOCUS: TACKLING CHILDHOOD OBESITY


them as they transition into adulthood. Aside from the obvious physical benefits that


can be obtained through staying active, regular physical activity, such as an active school run can have many positive benefits to the mental health and wellbeing of pupils. According to the Mental Health Foundation, physical activity increases mental alertness and helps reduce stress and anxiety. An active journey to school is a good way to


set children up for a day of learning; teachers find that pupils who cycle, walk or scoot arrive at school more relaxed, alert and ready to start the day than those who travel by car.


How active travel can help the local area around schools In addition to the positive impact active modes of transport can have on the health of individual families travelling to school, walking, cycling, scooting or using a wheelchair on the school run can also help drive down dangerous levels of air pollution in the streets around schools, and in turn help to create healthier towns and cities for everyone. For some time now, we’ve known about the detrimental impact air pollution has on our health, with road transport responsible for 80% of roadside nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution where legal limits are being broken. Likewise, the most recent figures for the UK


reveal that the transport sector is responsible for 28% of greenhouse gas emissions, the most of any sector. It is therefore vital, that we work to prioritise


shifting everyday trips from private motorised vehicles to walking, cycling and public transport. With the average primary school journey under 2 miles, the school run is a key daily trip where the car can easily be replaced by active and sustainable modes of transport. In order to do this effectively, we need to make


sure walking, cycling, and other modes of active transport are the easiest and most appealing options for families travelling the school run. Failure to do so poses a real risk that people will be locked in to car dependency, causing gridlock and adding to already dangerous levels of air pollution in and around schools. Sustrans’ School Streets programme works to


tackle congestion, poor air quality and road safety concerns that many schools experience. Whilst School Streets vary from place to place, in most cases, traffic is restricted for 30-60 minutes at either end of the school day. This therefore opens up streets around schools for active modes of transport, making it easier, safer and more attractive for families to opt for sustainable ways to get to journey to school. The more children who are able to travel


actively to school, the less air pollution there will be around school gates. This in turn will help create healthier streets outside schools and in the wider local area, benefiting pupils, staff and local residents.


What schools can do to support active travel Surveys carried out as part of Sustrans Active Journeys programme in Wales show that pupils would prefer to travel actively if they were given the choice. Despite this, pre-Covid, on weekday mornings, one in five cars on the roads were on the school run, further highlighting the extent of car dependency in the UK. With guidance from the Department for


April 2021 www.education-today.co.uk 31


Education highlighting that local authorities should be working to promote an active school run to allow for social distancing on public transport for those who need to travel further, there are a number of things schools can doing to support pupils travelling actively during the pandemic and beyond. Promoting and teaching about walking and


cycling in a school setting is a vital means of establishing active travel habits for life among children. Normalising walking and cycling as a means of transport can empower pupils and their families to feel confident to make healthy and environmentally friendly travel choices. Encouraging parents to give older children responsibility for getting themselves to and from school can also help normalise an active school journey, whilst helping to improve pupils’ road confidence and reducing the number of people around the school gate. Facilities in the school setting that support


transport modes such as cycling and scooting can also help enable and normalise active travel


amongst pupils. Where possible, space should be provided for pupils to store their travel equipment, including cycles, scooters, helmets and bags. This could be as simple as allowing bikes and scooters to be parked against school walls and fences. Finally, getting involved in initiatives such as


Sustrans Big Pedal, is a great way for schools to generate conversations around active travel, whilst showcasing walking, cycling, scooting and wheeling as fun ways for children to get to school. The competition is open to individual classes


and year groups as well as whole schools, with hundreds of thousands of pupils expected to take part. Schools will be entered into daily prize draws


for rewards, if more than 15% of a school travel actively each day of the challenge.


For more information and to register your school to take part in Sustrans Big Pedal 2021, visit: www.bigpedal.org.uk


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