Swindon school wins gold for sustainable travel efforts

By Jessica Durston - 22 September 2021

CommunityEducation

Haydonleigh Primary now holds gold accreditation on its travel plans under the National Stars Programme.

The programme is said to recognise schools that have shown excellence in supporting cycling, walking and other forms of sustainable and active travel.
 
As part of its efforts to achieve gold accreditation, Haydonleigh Primary School has recruited 10 children from Year 5 and 6 to be Travel Ambassadors. The Ambassadors meet approximately once or twice a term to discuss new ideas and events to encourage their peers to find more sustainable ways of getting to school.
 
The Travel Ambassadors also help with the ‘Walking Bus’ - an initiative set up to get pupils walking to school. The Walking Bus sees parents drop their children off at a meeting point and then a group of teachers and volunteers escort the pupils to school safely along local footpaths.
 
Debbie Yockney, a Senior Teaching Assistant at Haydonleigh Primary School, said: “We have found many benefits from the Walking Bus.
 
"Parents can get to work earlier, there's less congestion around the school which pleases local residents, children arrive to school alert and ready to learn, and for older children this can be the first step towards travelling to school independently.”
 
Haydonleigh Primary School says it is committed to playing its part to tackle climate change and the school encourages members of the public to play their part too, by reading up on Swindon Borough Council's 'Be The Change' initiative.
 
More information can be found at www.swindon.gov.uk/bethechange 

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