What is Modeshift Stars?

Modeshift STARs (Sustainable Travel Accreditation and Recognition Scheme) is the national awards scheme that recognises schools that have shown excellence in supporting cycling, walking and other forms of sustainable travel. It is   recognised as the National School Travel Awards scheme and we have been working hard over the last few years to develop our accreditation and increase active travel.

We are so pleased to tell you that in July 2023 we achieved PLATINUM Accreditation in the Modeshift Stars Scheme for our "Outstanding Travel Plan 2023".

This is an annual accreditation and we work tirelessly to promote safe and active travel for our pupils and parents through a variety of events  throughout  the school year.

We recognise that there are circumstances when travelling to school by car is the only option and are very aware that the position of Fairfield Infant School makes this quite difficult. However, as a school we are committed to making the no parking zone outside the school a car free zone during pick up and drop off times and to eliminate complaints from local residents about our parents parking on private property. This is why we operate the School “Park and Stride Scheme” before and after school

This coming year we aim to achieve even more and retain our Platinum accreditation by completing even more positive active travel actions and raising awareness in active travel to and from school.

Main aims of Platinum Accreditation:

· Reduce volume of traffic using roads past school gates, both school-run and through traffic;

· Improve air quality in and around school gates;

· Increase the number of pupils walking, cycling and scooting to school

· Reduce the number of pupils arriving at school by car

Over the coming months we will be involving children and parents in activities to work towards our Platinum Award as follows:

· Travel Wise Week—September 16—22nd September

· World  Car Free Day (in conjunction with Travel Wise Week) - Friday 22nd September

· Cycle to School Week  - 25th - 29th September 2023

Walktober—We will be asking all children/parents to try and use active methods of travel to and from school and record these on your Active Travel Challenge Sheet (Walk, Scoot or Cycle to school)

· Your time to Shine Day— Friday 10th November to coincide with daylight saving times change to increase awareness of visible/ bright clothing when travelling to and from school.

 Road Safety Week - 19th - 25th September with particular emphasis on speed limits

· Road Safety Banner—Designing a banner for outside the school to discourage parking—Zig Zag /No Stopping      banner  - Pupil Involvement  - we may do this a competition!

· Conduct Traffic Surveys/Modes of Travel—We will ask our Year 2 pupils to conduct travel surveys

· Hands Up Survey—We will carry out a survey with our children and staff on modes of travel to and from school

· Walk to School Week

· Bike to School Day

· Active Breakfast—we aim to attract sponsors for an active breakfast day for all children choosing a mode of active travel—hopefully during either walk to school week or Bike to School Week

· Engaging with our local community/neighbours to improve relationships and demonstrate the measures we are taking to improve parking/traffic around the school site. We would love to set up a Road Safety Committee with our students, parents and neighbours

· Plus lots more…

We have lots of other ideas in the pipeline and if you feel you can help with any of these events or have any expertise /sponsorship please get in touch with Kim Moore in the school office or email her on k.moore@fairfield-infant.co.uk      

Modeshift Stars Regional Travel Awards: 8th November 2023

We are delighted to inform you that Fairfield Infant School has been shortlisted to take part in the Regional Travel Awards Event on Wednesday 8th November after achieving one of the highest levels of Modeshift Stars Accreditation in 2022/23—Platinum .

This event is to highlight and celebrate the work actioned by the schools who have achieved the top level  accreditation scheme. They will be revealing the Local Authority Schools of the Year before announcing the Modeshift Stars Schools of the Region 2023.

We are hopeful that we will be selected to go forward to the Modeshift Stars National Travel Awards in London in March 2024...

Cycle to School Week 25- 29th September 2023

We’re excited to launch 2023’s Cycle to School Week, taking place from Monday 25 - Friday 29 September.

Do you want to save money, get healthier and protect the environment? As well as have lots of fun on the journey to school?

Then get involved with Cycle to School Week!

This year, Cycle to School Week will take place between Monday 25 – Friday 29 September 2023.

With support from our friends at Sustrans, we are celebrating the fun and freedom of an eco-friendly cycle commute, and  encourage all families, pupils and teachers to get involved. 

Make a pledge – and win!

This year we are asking pupils, parents, schools and teachers to make a cycling pledge. Simply fill in the form on the link below, choose your pledge, and be entered into the prize draw to win a brand new Frog children’s bike!

https://www.bikeability.org.uk/cycletoschoolweek/?utm_campaign=194679_Family%20Enews%20Cycle%20to%20School%20Week%202023&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Sustrans&dm_i=7CK6,467R,CMJBK,GJDH,1

You could pledge to

· Swap one car journey for cycling

· Cycle to school everyday

· Discover somewhere new to cycle

· Go on a cycle ride with your family

There are lots of opportunities to get involved, win prizes, and learn valuable skills for all ages.

Cycling, walking or scooting to school is a great way to change things up and reduce your carbon footprint. 

We've put together a list of 9 reasons why your family should ditch the car and enjoy a school run in the fresh air .

1.  Build activity into the whole family’s routine

2. It's a boost for mental health and wellbeing

3. It's the best way to start the day

4. It will help ease congestion outside the school gate

5. It's good for the environment

6. It increases children’s road safety awareness

7. It lets you connect with the world around you

8. You’ll save money

9. Think of all the fresh air, freedom and fun you’ll have along the way

There are more details on the link below:

sustrans.org.uk/our-blog/get-active/2019/everyday-walking-and-cycling/9-reasons-to-cycle-scoot-or-walk-the-school-run/?utm_campaign=194679_Family%20Enews%20Cycle%20to%20School%20Week%202023&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Sustrans&dm_i=7CK6,467R,CMJBK,GJ3W,1

Travel Wise Week  - 16 - 22nd September  2023

TravelWise Week is a world-wide, week-long Travel Challenge where Modeshift asks everyone to Travel  Wisely!

We will be promoting active travel, public transport, and other cleaner and healthier transport choices, culminating in a World Car Free Day  on Friday 22nd September when everyone is encouraged to find an alternative mode of travel for just one day.

TravelWise Week is the perfect opportunity to swap your car for a more active form of travel such as: walking, scooting or cycling. If you need to drive, can you consider public transport?

We will be trying to raise awareness around the impacts of travel choices on an individual’s health and wellbeing, and on the environment throughout this week and would love it if you could try and participate as much as possible. We will be taking a daily log of pupils mode of travel in this period.

We will launch TravelWise Week during assembly and run different events each days, such as:

· An Active Travel Assembly—Whole School

· A scavenger hunt on the way to school—children can make a list of the things they find on their journey to school

· Talking and writing stories about children's journeys to school—children can do this as an extra curricular activity and bring their stories into school

All schools taking part have the opportunity to be recognised through Modeshift’s new and exciting TravelWise Week Awards!

Flags of the World School Competition (Clean Air Scooter Challenge) June 2023

Oh my goodness, we have been overwhelmed with the amount of children who have joined the Clean Air Scooting Challenge this week! Our scooter pods and bike racks are overflowing...

What a fantastic response to the "Flags of the World" school competition where children have decorated their scooters in the Flags of the World for our whole school entry.

Today, we have an amazing 52 decorated scooters, 38 additional scooters and 7 bikes! Wow! Well done Fairfield - That's 37.3% of our school population who have scooted to school this week, please keep up the good work and chose this sustainable form of travel going forward.

Our entry has been submitted and we will let you know if we are lucky enough to secure a prize for the school!

Everyone who has taken part this week will receive a certificate. Here are a few photos of the scooters..

Clean Air Scooter Challenge  Monday 12th until Friday 16th June 2023

We are taking part in the Clean Air Scooter Challenge this term!

 This event runs from Monday 12th to Friday 16th June 2023 and is a chance to learn more about how scooting, and other forms of active travel, can help keep our air clean.

 We are encouraging our children and families to find opportunities to scoot as often as possible through the week. This could be to scoot to school, Scoot from the Boot (Park and Stride Scheme) or any other times when you could leave the car at home and scoot instead.

 There will be a ‘Flags of the World’ scooter competition for our school to enter for a chance to win a Scooterpod, but we’ll need your help!

 Children are asked to safely decorate their scooters to become bright, colourful ‘Flags of the World’ on Thursday 15th June—which is National Clean Air Day. Please see the parent and carer leaflet or visit myjourneyhampshire.com/scooterchallenge for information.

 We will be taking photographs of the children's scooters decorated in “Flags of the World’ on Thursday 15th June and it would be great if have a selection of the children’s colourful scooters!

Every child who takes part will receive a certificate. We hope you enjoy being part of #ScooterChallenge. 

Big Walk and Wheel Monday 20th March until Friday 31st March 2023

What is the Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel?

Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel inspires pupils to make active journeys to school, improve air quality in their neighbourhood and discover how these changes benefit their world.

Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel is open to all primary and secondary schools in the UK, and it is free to take part and there are daily prizes to be won.

On each day of the challenge, schools compete to see who can get the highest percentage of their pupils walking, using a wheelchair, scooting or cycling to school. Our school’s best five days will determine Fairfield’s final position in the event!

How many active journeys can make?

What do you need to do?

Encourage your child to take active journeys to school on as many days as possible during the event, and join them on their way

Recording your child’s journeys

Class teachers will be recording your child’s mode of travel daily throughout this event at morning registration.

Cycle, walk, scoot and snap to win prizes

There will be fantastic prizes up for grabs on every day of the challenge. Schools that get over 15% of their pupils taking part on each day will be entered into the daily prize draw. Prizes include accessories and equipment to help our school travel actively.

The more people we have making active journeys the better chance we have of winning a prize!

Bike and Scooter Storage

We will be using the rear playground for additional bike and scooter storage during the Sustrans Event . If the racks at the front of the school are full please wheel (do not ride or scoot) your bike or scooter to the rear  playground and store it safely in the quiet area (The small fenced area to the left of the Hall). They can be collected and wheeled down the driveway at the end of the school day.

If you intend to ride your bike or scoot to school please check out this link to ensure they are safe and ready for the event:

BIKE: https://mail.sustrans.org.uk/7CK6-2DBO-CMJBK-1572U-1/c.aspx

SCOOT: https://mail.sustrans.org.uk/7CK6-2DBO-CMJBK-1572V-1/c.aspx

Useful resources

To help you prepare, Sustrans has developed a handy free guide to walking, cycling or scooting to school. It is packed with advice to help you have hassle-free journey to school.

Download your free family guide using this link: https://www.sustrans.org.uk/sign-up-to-receive-your-free-school-run-guide/ 

For more information about the event go to www.bigwalkandwheel.org.uk . Enjoy the challenge!

Your time to Shine—Friday 4th November

To highlight the daylight saving time and darker evenings we will be running a “Your time to Shine Day” in school on Friday 4th November.

We are asking children to wear their brightest clothes and accessories to school on this date to make themselves more visible when walking, scooting, cycling near the road. We will be awarding prizes for the “Brightest Dressed Child in each class” and we will feature the winners in our Newsletter, Website and Facebook page—we may even have a special guest and get the local press involved as we are planning a community fitness warm-up on the playground for everyone to join in!

Modeshift STARs (Sustainable Travel Accreditation and Recognition Scheme) is the national awards scheme that recognises schools that have shown excellence in supporting cycling, walking and other forms of sustainable travel. It is recognised as the National School Travel Awards scheme and we hope to develop our School Travel Plan and work towards Silver Accreditation this year.

We recognise that there are circumstances when travelling to school by car is the only option and are very aware that the position of Fairfield Infant School makes this quite difficult. However, as a school we are committed to making the no parking zone outside the school a car free zone during pick up and drop off times and to eliminate complaints from local residents about our parents parking on private property. This is why we operate the School “Park and Stride Scheme” before and after school

For the past two years Fairfield Infant School have achieved the BRONZE Award Accreditation for our actions in and around the school in encouraging more pupils to walk, scoot or ride to school.

This coming year we aim to achieve even more and obtain our Silver Award by completing more positive actions and raising awareness in active travel to and from school.

Main aims of Silver Accreditation:

• Reduce volume of traffic using roads past school gates, both school-run and through traffic;

• Improve air quality in and around school gates;

• Increase the number of pupils walking, cycling and scooting to school

• Reduce the number of pupils arriving at school by car

• Over the coming months we will be involving children and parents in activities to work towards our Silver Award as follows: • Walktober—We are already participating in this and asking all children/parents to try and use active methods of travel to and from school and record these on your Active Travel Challenge Sheet

• Road Safety Training—we have 2 parents signed up to carry out some online training in Road Safety and then deliver this training to our children throughout the school year

• Your time to Shine Day—Friday 4th November (full details below)

• Road Safety Banner—Designing a banner for outside the school to discourage parking—Zig Zag /No Stopping banner • Year 2—Conduct Traffic Surveys/Modes of Travel

• Hands Up Survey—surveying our children and staff on modes of travel • Walk to School Week (May 2023) And Bike to School Day/ Week (June 2023)

• Active Breakfast—we aim to attract sponsors for an active breakfast day for all children choosing a mode of active travel—hopefully during either walk to school week or Bike to School Week • Engaging with our local community/neighbours to improve relationships and demonstrate the measures we are taking to improve parking/traffic around the school site

• Plus lots more…

We have lots of other ideas in the pipeline and if you feel you can help with any of these events or have any expertise / sponsorship please get in touch with Kim Moore in the school office or email her on k.moore@fairfield-infant.co.uk

Watch this space!

We have lots of exciting activities in conjunction with Modeshift Stars planned for 2022/23....

ROAD SAFETY WEEK—BE BRIGHT, BE SEEN DAY!

Monday 29th November  2021— Friday 3rd December

We have had a great week highlighting Road Safety this week and it has been wonderful to see the children dressed in their brightly coloured outfits today raising  awareness for our Be Bright Be Seen day.

We have given out reflectors to all of the children who participated today!

We awarded additional prizes to the “Brightest Dressed Child in each class” (Reflective wrist bands and bike spoke          reflectors) although it was a very hard decision as all of the children have really made an effort and look fantastic!

Here are some pictures of our brightest dressed children….