WOW - the walk to school challenge
what is wow?
WOW is a pupil-led initiative where children self-report how they get to school every day using our interactive WOW Travel Tracker. If pupils travel sustainably at least once a week for a month, they are rewarded with a collectable monthly WOW badge. Participating schools follow three simple steps to see whole host of incredible benefits benefits.
WOW resources are available in English and Welsh.
Transform your school run
Want safer, cleaner streets and happier, healthier pupils? Join over 2,000 school already getting active with WOW - the walk to school challenge. Watch car journeys to school reduce by 59% and walking and wheeling increase by 18%.
Register your school's interest and start your journey with WOW today!
We have a number of fully funded places for schools, offered on a first come, first served basis. By filling in our form we'll also let you know if your school is eligible.
STEP 1: Walk to school
Pupils are encouraged to walk, wheel, cycle, scoot or Park and Stride to school and record how they got in on the interactive, award-winning WOW Travel Tracker.
Step 2: Earn badges
If they walk, wheel, cycle, scoot or Park and Stride to school at least once a week earn, pupils monthly collectable badges featuring colourful designs by the children themselves.
Step 3: see the change
On average, WOW schools see 59% fewer car journeys to the school gates and 18% more journeys walking and wheeling* all the way to school!
Did you know that 1 in 4 cars on the road each morning are on the school run?
Did you know that 1 in 4 cars on the road each morning are on the school run? WOW can start to turn that around by helping more families choose to walk or wheel to school instead. As well as the increased walking rates and the drop in cars at the school gates, there are other perks to taking part in WOW…
1. Instils healthy habits
WOW promotes healthy mental wellbeing by improving behaviour and concentration levels in class.
2. Accreditation
Helps schools achieve their outstanding OFSTED schools rating and Modeshift STARS and Healthy Schools status.
3. Climate Action Plan
Walking to school with Living Streets can form part of a school’s Climate Action Plan. A climate action plan is a detailed plan to enable your education setting to progress or commence sustainability initiatives and should typically cover four areas to align with DfE’s sustainability and climate change strategy, including decarbonisation.
4. Adaptable
We know walking to school isn’t possible for everyone, so we adapt WOW to ensure all pupils can earn a badge. Our schools team can work with staff, including SENCO, to create a bespoke approach that meets the needs of your school community. Here are some examples of ways we’ve done this in the past. If you have any questions on WOW in SEND schools, email [email protected]
5. Takes little classroom time
It takes less than 10 minutes of a teacher’s day! Our WOW Ambassador scheme sees pupils themselves supporting the running of WOW.
6. Low cost
WOW is around £2 per pupil; just a fraction of your PE and Sport Premium per child. Read more about the ways to fund WOW here.
WOW badges and WOW Travel Tracker
WOW badges
WOW rewards children who travel actively to school with collectable badges. The badges are unique and designed by the pupils themselves in our annual WOW Badge Design Competition.
All of our WOW badges are made from recycled plastic material, including old fridge trays, plastic plates and even yoghurt pot off-cuts that were otherwise destined for landfill. They are produced locally in Cornwall, reducing our carbon footprint. The badges also arrive to schools in environmentally-friendly, biodegradable packaging.
This year's theme
Every year, WOW and its badges follow a different, fun and educational theme. This academic year, we asked pupils to ‘Walk With Joy’ and draw what makes them feel happy.
All the pupils ran with the theme, showing us the joy they find in painting, playing football with friends and skiing down a snowy mountain.
WOW Travel Tracker
Our award-winning WOW Travel Tracker brings the challenge to life. Pupils log journeys to school using your existing classroom devices. The WOW Travel Tracker identifies pupils who’ve earned their monthly badge and supplies useful stats for to earn yout school a Modeshift STARS award. You can also:
- Gain valuable insights into travel habits and track progress
- See which classes and schools are leading the way in active travel with leaderboards
- Find useful resources and guides.
