Active Travel Ambassadors

Our School Travel Policy, available below reflects our commitment to promoting Active Travel to school. Our Active Travel Ambassadors lead the work around active travel and keeping our children safe on the roads around our school.

We have recently achieved our Gold Modeshift STARS award, having already earned our Bronze and Silver Awards. We were the first school in North Northamptonshire to achieve each of these awards. Modeshift STARS is the national schools awards scheme that has been established to recognise schools that have demonstrated excellence in supporting cycling, walking and other forms of sustainable travel. The scheme encourages schools across the country to join in a major effort to increase levels of sustainable and active travel in order to improve the health and well-being of children and young people.

We have also been recognised as the 'Local Authority School of the Year' for Northamptonshire in the National Travel Awards.

One way of increasing the levels of sustainable travel is to use public transport. Use the journey planner or follow the link to local bus timetables to find out more. Alternatively, pop into school and pick up bus timetables and Kettering bike routes from the school office.

Active Travel

We recognise the many positive benefits for pupils walking, scooting and cycling to and from school. We therefore encourage pupils and parents to travel to school by cycling, scooting and walking (active travel) wherever possible.

Some of the benefits of active travel are:

improving both mental and physical health through physical activity
establishing positive active travel behaviour
promoting independence and improving safety awareness
reducing congestion, noise and pollution in the community
reducing the environmental impact of the journey to school.

To encourage pupils to cycle or scoot to school frequently the school will:

actively promote walking, cycling and scooting as a positive way of travelling
celebrate the achievements of those who walk, cycle and scoot to school
provide cycle and scooter storage on the school site

To make cycling and scooting to and from school a positive experience for everybody concerned, we expect our pupils to:

ride sensibly and safely and to follow the Highway Code
check that their bicycle or scooter is roadworthy and regularly maintained
behave in a manner which shows them and the school in the best possible light and to consider the needs of others when cycling or scooting
consider wearing a cycle helmet
ensure they can be seen by other road users, by using lights and wearing high-visibility clothing, as appropriate.

For the wellbeing of our pupils, we expect parents and carers to:

encourage their child to walk, cycle or scoot to school whenever possible
encourage their child to take up opportunities to develop their competence and confidence in cycling or scooting
consider cycling or scooting with their child on the school run
provide their child with equipment such as high-visibility clothing, lights, a lock and cycle helmet as appropriate
ensure that the bicycles and scooters ridden to school are roadworthy and regularly maintained

Activities to promote active travel in school to date include:

Active Travel Ambassadors appointed to promote active travel work in school – leading assemblies, visiting classes to share road safety work, working with outside agencies to promote active travel, promotion of active travel to school on the school gate in the mornings, writing to parents and the community to share good practice, promote the school’s work and share responsibility
In-school and inter-school competitions
‘ScootFit’ training sessions for children in Reception – Year 6
Participation in ‘The Big Pedal’
Road Safety Week annually
Wellbeing Week with a focus on active travel to school

Find out more at these websites:

https://brightkidz.co.uk/

https://www.modeshiftstars.org/

https://www.think.gov.uk/education-resources/

http://www.brake.org.uk/