Living Streets Walk To School Project

Living Streets’ is the UK’s leading charity for everyday walking.

We want to create a nation where walking is the natural choice for local, everyday journeys. Our mission began over 90 years ago, when our campaigning led to the UK’s first zebra crossings and speed limits. Now, our campaigns and local projects bring real change by overcoming barriers to walking and encouraging people to walk more.

In Leicester, we provide support for schools wanting to reduce congestion and improve air quality and road safety around the school gate.

Walk to School Challenge for primary school aged children

WOW – Living Streets walk to school challenge encourages children and their families to travel actively to school and log their daily travel on our digital Travel Tracker. Pupils who walk, scoot, cycle, bus or park and stride to school at least once a week are rewarded with a monthly collectible WOW badge. 11 badges are available to collect each school year. Watch our “What is WOW?” video.

Benefits of WOW:

• Reduces congestion, improves road safety at the school gates and air quality in the neighbourhood, with fewer cars at school drop off and pick up times
• Increases pupil’s daily activity levels, encourages lifelong healthy habits, helps tackle childhood obesity and increases children’s wellbeing levels
• On average, WOW schools see a 30% reduction in car journeys taken to the school gate and a 23% increase in walking rates.
• Supports Eco-Schools, Healthy-Schools and Modeshift STARS awards

We are currently able to offer a limited number of funded WOW places to Leicester City schools. To find out more or to express an interest in taking part, contact Sarah Smith, on 07595 781875 / sarah.smith@livingstreets.org.uk.

Transitioning to secondary school

Our journey planning activity sheet encourages year 6 pupils to consider the different ways they could travel to their new secondary school. The activity can be completed by pupils at home or in school as part of their ‘transitions’ preparation.

Visit Living Streets’ Making the Transition to Secondary School page to download the activity sheet and see information for parents/carers.

Further walk to school resources and initiatives

Visit Living Streets’ Walk to School page to browse the full range of resources and initiatives on offer to primary and secondary schools. This includes curriculum-linked lesson plans, information about our Walk to School Week and Happy Shoesday initiatives, and a Family Walk to School Kit, designed to help parents, carers and children make the walk to school work for them.