Getting pupils on the move

At peak times, one in five cars on the road is on the school run. Under half of primary school pupils walk to school today, even though the average distance to school is still around one mile for the majority of families. At secondary school age the picture is similar – we’ve managed to get our children out of the daily walking habit. At the same time, levels of childhood obesity are on the rise, and levels of pollution around main roads have real health impacts.

We think that by walking to school regularly, not only can individuals benefit, but our communities as a whole will be better off. We run national campaigns to encourage people to change their behaviour and leave the car keys at home – the National Walk to School campaign for primary age pupils, Step Up for secondary age pupils, and our year round WoW (Walk Once a Week) scheme to reward primary school pupils who walk throughout the year.

Find out more about our campaign at the Walk to School website.