PARENTS AND CARERS
If you’re a parent or carer, there are lots of ways we can help get you and your family walking.
We can also help make walking safer and easier in your neighbourhood. Find out about our walk to school initiatives, including WOW - our walk to school challenge.
"We’ve helped to set up a Park & Stride at a local supermarket so that pupils who arrive by car can still make an active trip and help to reduce congestion around the school gates."
Dom Jacques of Moortown Living Streets Group on how parent power is helping transform streets in Leeds.
WALK TO SCHOOL - IT'S ONE WIN AFTER ANOTHER
HAPPIER CHILDREN
Children who do some form of exercise, especially a walk before school, arrive refreshed, fit and ready to learn.
CLEANER AIR
In the UK, one in four cars during the morning rush hour are taking children to school. The school run alone is responsible for generating half a million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year (which is more than some small countries!). By walking to school just once per week you can help improve the quality of air your child is growing up in.
SAFER JOURNEYS
The walk to school is another opportunity for your child to learn road safety.
YOUR HEALTH
If you walk to school with your child, you will get fitter too!
YOUR TIME
Fed up of the traffic and finding a parking space at the school gate? Walking to school can be just as quick as driving and is a nice way to spend a few moments chatting with your child about their day and yours.
YOUR WALLET
Don’t forget you can save money by spending less on petrol.
WALK TO SCHOOL MYTH BUSTER
‘Driving to school keeps my child safe’
If more cars are driving past the school gate and reversing in out of school parking spaces, there will be an increase in traffic and the roads around the school perimeter will be less safe.
‘Most children live too far away from school’
The average primary school is a 20-minute walk from home. Families who live further away could try a Park and Stride scheme, and drive them part of the way.
'Walking to school will make my child tired’
Research has shown that children who do some form of exercise, especially a walk before school, arrive fit, refreshed, ready to learn and do better in class.
‘There is more risk of stranger danger’
We know that stranger danger will always be a worry for parents. But if children are taught good road safety from an early age, it can help to reduce fears by allowing children to get to know neighbouring children, parents, their houses and the local community.
‘I save time driving my child to school’
Are you guilty of leaving home early and waiting by the school gates to make sure you get a car parking space? By the time you have sat waiting for the gates to open or looking for a space to park, your child could have walked to school. Avoid sitting in traffic and use the time to walk to school with your child and spend quality time together.
‘Driving to school with my child is better for their health as they are less exposed to air pollution’
In fact air pollution is much (up to 9–12 times) higher in cars compared to outside the car, and the benefits of walking far outweigh the cost of breathing in pollution.
'I live too far from school to walk'
If you drive to school, you could Park and Stride. Find somewhere suitable to park at least a 10 minute walk from school and complete your journey on foot.
If you take public transport, how about getting off a couple of stops earlier and walking the rest of the way?
'It rains too much'
Break out your wellies and waterproofs and see how much fun your children have splashing in the puddles. It’s not about the weather; it’s about what you wear!
'The roads are too dangerous for children'
Use the walk to school as an opportunity to teach your child about road safety and help them to build their confidence in managing risk.
Work with other parents or your school to ask the local council to improve safety by installing safe crossings and introducing 20mph speed limits.