Herefordshire Schools Gear Up For Walk To School

Youngsters across Herefordshire are being encouraged to ditch the car for the fresh air as part of International Walk to School Week this week (October 3 – 8).

Twenty three primary schools across the county will take part in this year’s event, which is aimed at reducing pollution, freeing up congested roads and boosting health through increased exercise.

School Travel Advisers from Herefordshire Council will visit schools as part of a walk to school presentation and are providing all schools taking part with resources such as posters, stickers, and record sheets for each pupil.

St Thomas Cantilupe School, Hereford, will stage How Green is your Tree?
  
Each class will also be involved in creating a class tree, with each child adding a leaf every morning.

Children will add a green leaf if they walked all the way.

A yellow leaf is awarded if they shared a car with another family or they use 'Park and Stride' - parking away from school and walking the rest of the way.

A brown leaf is given for all those being driven all the way to the school gate.

At the end of the week the class with the greenest tree will have a special reward, chosen by the class from a list of options.
 
Other schools taking part in International Walk to School Week include Cradley Primary School and King’s Caple primary, which will run a series of walks along local footpaths and Peterchurch Primary School, where children will be encouraged to use the park and walk scheme.

Rob Hattersley, Deputy Headteacher of St Thomas Cantilupe School, said: "The children at our school are already very aware of the importance of environmental and health issues to their future, and are usually very keen to walk.

“We are hoping that even more of our parents will support the children's efforts in this by walking, or 'parking and striding' if walking really is not an option for them."

Linda Sinker, Herefordshire Council’s School Travel Adviser, added: “Walking to school helps in many ways not just with the obvious things such as less pollution and less congestion but also in helping develop children’s independence.

“Children learn to be safe, reduce obesity and increase their health as well.”