WOW - the year-round walk to school challenge
WOW is here for 2020-21
Resources are available on our shop.
WOW is a pupil-led initiative where children self-report how they get to school every day using the interactive WOW Travel Tracker. If they travel sustainably (walk, cycle or scoot) once a week for a month, they get rewarded with a badge. It's that easy!
It's simple to run and children love taking part. Each year, the 11 WOW badges follow a new WOW theme, all of which are designed by pupils in our annual badge design competition. On average, WOW schools see a 30% reduction in car journeys taken to the school gate and a 23% increase in walking rates.
NEW feature!
WOW ACTIVITY TRACKER
With much of the learning now online, and many pupils at home, we have made some temporary small developments to our award-winning WOW Travel Tracker to also allow pupils who are not travelling to school to record physical activity they do at home.
Welcome the new WOW Activity Tracker!
To find out more get in touch
teachers, already taking part?
If your school has already signed up to WOW, we have put together a new page containing everything and anything you might need to launch safely WOW during COVID-19 and beyond.
Click the button below to access your engagement content and downloadable launch resources.
Access your WOW launch materials
Watch our WOW video and find out all you need to know about our flagship walk to school challenge.
Want to join our annual badge design competition?
Every year we get over 100K design entries, making it one of the biggest design competitions for children in the UK!
Children love taking part and we're sure our 2021 competition will be no exception! More information on launch, theme and prizes will be shared soon - stay tuned!
Buy WOW
To run WOW you only need two things: WOW Badges and WOW Travel Tracker.
You can use your PE & Sport Premium to buy WOW.
All about our WOW badges
Find out all you need to know about the WOW badges, where they come from and how to recycle them.
three simple steps to WOW
WOW Travel Tracker
With the interactive WOW Travel Tracker you can gain insights into travel habits and find out which pupils have walked enough to earn a badge each month.
Recommend WOW to your local school!
Use our simple online form and encourage a local school to get WOW.
Teachers: already taking part?
Download your supporting engagement content and classroom resources.
The power of WOW - read about some of the ways WOW has made a difference to schools
Why Oxfordshire Council runs WOW
How running our walk to school challenge has boosted active travel across one UK county.
12.02.2018
Sunnyside Primary has the WOW factor
Alloa pupils impress judges in a creative competition, as all Clackmannanshire schools start WOW.
31.10.2017
Abbotswood Primary, South Glos
How one school 's commitment to walking to school with us culminated in a huge rise in walking rates.
17.07.2017
Badge competition winners
View this year's winning designs on the theme:
WONDERS OF THE WORLD.
Ideas for funding WOW
RUN WOW FOR FREE
Depending on your area and our funding availability, your school may be eligible to run WOW for free.
check if your school is eligible
Why WOW?
Searching for more reasons to take on the challenge? Look no further!
Reduces congestion
1 in 4 cars on the road each morning is on the school run.
Increases walking rates
Children at participating schools increase by 23% in the first five weeks. WOW Travel Tracker helps you keep track of your schools modes of travel.
Ofsted
Helps you achieve your outstanding schools rating.
Accreditation
Participating in WOW helps schools achieve Modeshift STARS and Healthy Schools status.
little classroom time
Less than 10 minutes of a teacher’s day! The most important part of WOW happens before the school day even starts.
600,000
Pupils encouraged to walk to school last year in 2,200 schools.
Great cost
WOW is £2 per pupil; just a fraction of your £10 PE and Sport Premium per child.
Instils life long healthy habits
Encourages pupils and families to swap the school ride for a school stride. Promotes healthy mental wellbeing by improving behaviour and concentration levels in class.
Improves road safety at the school gates
Thanks to the drop in car usage around the school.
