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….