Pupils help cut congestion at school

The aim is to keep the children healthy and safer on the journey to school, as well as reducing the nuisance to local residents from too many cars on the school run.

Children and teachers have been working with Schools Go Smarter, the behaviour change programme that encourages everyone to use sustainable transport – like walking and cycling – on their daily journeys to school every day, and the Walking Bus programme has made a big impact.

School principal Jayn Gray said: ‘’The Walking Bus has made an enormous difference to the start of each school day.

“Working with Schools Go Smarter has enabled us to encourage pupils and parents to see the benefits of travelling to school in a sustainable way, which helps ease the congestion around the school each morning.”

“The local Toby Carvery has kindly offered their car park to be used in the mornings for parents to drop off their children.

“We are a big school, with a big parking problem, so we are grateful to the carvery and for the support and advice we are receiving from Schools Go Smarter.”

Around 30 children of all ages walk the five to ten minute journey to school each morning, wearing high-vis vests and under the close supervision of trained staff.

Schools Go Smarter has been working closely with road safety officers at South Tyneside Council to deliver the Walking Bus.

For further information about the Schools Go Smarter initiative, go to www.gosmarter.co.uk