Walk to School Week - A Step in the Right Direction

Fri, 09 May 2008 15:21:18

Royal Borough primary schoolchildren – and their parents and teachers – are once again being urged to put their best foot forward and walk to school for a week.

Walk to School Week 2008 runs from Monday May 19 to Friday May 23 and 36 of the borough’s 45 primary schools are set to rise to the challenge.

Cllr Colin Rayner, lead member for highways, transport and environment, said: “There are so many compelling reasons why walking to school is a good idea. With childhood obesity on the rise it’s the perfect opportunity for parents to help youngsters build exercise into their daily routine and share some quality time together. Teachers report that pupils who walk to school arrive more wide awake and are therefore more prepared for the school day ahead.”

Walk to School Week is a national initiative which the borough is using to support its ongoing campaign to promote walking and cycling to school in preference to driving.

Supporting Walk to School Week is the borough’s School Travel Reward Scheme (STaRS), an incentive scheme which encourages children to walk, cycle or scoot to school, thereby earning them free swims at the Magnet or Windsor Leisure Centres.

Cllr Rayner added: “Walk to School Week gives both primary school pupils and their parents the opportunity to try walking to school with the idea of continuing on a more regular basis. Even if they can only commit to walking to school once or twice a week, it has significant benefits in terms of improving health and road safety awareness.

“Drivers will need to be vigilant, as there will be a lot of children walking to school. Please drive slowly and carefully and remember that you were a child yourself once!”