Autumn In South Gloucestershire
Another fun packed term crammed full of active travel lessons, activities, challenges and competitions.
- The term was kicked off with a breath taking start as the M.A.D Team Show toured schools. The M.A.D Team showcased their stunt display skills before highlighting key cycle safety messages.
- The Schools Challenge took place in October with secondary schools competing to be the best active travellers in the West of England. A big congratulations to John Cabot Academy, who was top of the league for South Gloucestershire schools.
Pictured: Schools Challenge Winners from John Cabot Academy, Kingswood
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- A hard-hitting road safety presentation called ‘The Decision’ toured secondary schools with 460 pupils benefitting for the experience.
- Andy’s been extremely busy with 403 Year 4 pupils taking part in Safer Fitter Greener, 301 Year 5 pupils undertaking Route Planning, 156 Year 6s taking pedestrian training and 153 pupils undertaking scooter training.
- The whole of Meadowbrook Primary marked national Giant Walk Day as they marched around the playground to campaign for slower speeds and safer streets.
- Pupils for St Michael’s C of E, Charborough Road, Callicroft and Coniston Primaries helped their schools actively travel to and from school by developing their own 5 minute walking zone maps.
- St Chad's Patchway Primary explored their local area on a guided walk, developing sensory maps despite the pouring rain.
- The school run was considerably brightened up with bling your ride and decorating sessions at St Chad’s Patchway, St Michael's C of E and Meadowbrook Primaries. Assemblies, hi visibility gear sales and poster competitions also took place across all schools to promoted families to Be Bright and Be Seen.
Pictured: Bling your ride winner from St Michael’s C of E Primary, Stoke Gifford
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- Pupils at Coniston Primary signed up for Bike Club, a fun packed 5 week club celebrating everything cycling.
- Stoke Lodge and Callicroft Primaries both ran Active Travel Weeks, with classes competing to log the most active travel journeys over a week to win a class prize.
- Andy and Emma could also be spotted attending parents evenings and winter fairs providing information and advice to parents, students and staff.
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"I have been cycling to school from Fishponds everyday rain, snow and shine for 30 years. It’s the best bit of the day. I think I’m in the minority who actually enjoys their commute. It doesn’t matter how bad the day might have been as I’ll have forgotten it by the time I’ve cycled home."
Teacher, Brimsham Green Secondary School
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"It takes me 30 minutes to travel from Bradley Stoke by car or 10 minutes by bike. It makes sense to cycle."
Pupil at St Michael’s C of E Primary, Stoke Gifford
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"Just wanted to say thank you for the walk you did last week ….. you did above and beyond and it was much appreciated, the children loved it!"
Head Teacher, St Chads Patchway C of E Primary
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Carrying On The Legacy
Brimsham Green Secondary Schools is one of the Active Travel to School Project’s great successes, with the number of pupils cycling more than doubling (from 12% to 25%) and those sustainably traveling increasing from 68% to 86%, since it joined the programme in 2013. Due to funding changes in April 15 the school were no longer able to be actively engaged in the project, but this has not stopped them from continuing to support and champion active travel.
As part of a legacy package the school were provided with a free bike toolkit to continue to encourage and support the huge number of pupils and staff cycling to school. South Glos Council’s Dr Bikes initially trained 2 pupils to use the tools and carry out basic repairs. As news spread about the training however other pupils asked to go on a similar course and a further 7 pupils in Year 10 were trained up. The pupils will use their newly learned skills to set up and provide a student led bike maintenance scheme for fellow students, planned to be launched during Term 3.
"I’d like to be involved in setting up a bike maintenance scheme at school to help fix other people’s bikes. Brakes are my speciality." (pupil)
"One of our students has gone to college to do car maintenance inspired by the course – which he loved so much!" (Behaviour and Inclusion Manager, Brimsham Green Secondary School)
Pictured: A Year 10 pupil making adjustments during a maintenance session
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The Decision Tours South Gloucestershire Schools
A hard-hitting road safety presentation called ‘The Decision’ toured secondary schools in October.
The Decision is a Courtroom drama focusing on young people between 11 and 14-years-old and their behaviour on and around roads, dealing with pedestrian safety, distraction, carelessness and choices. The play demonstrates how easy it is not to think about your actions, and highlights how dangerous this can be when near roads.
The play is based on a real life accident and tells the story from all sides. It demonstrates the impact on each person involved after the accident. At the end of the play the pupils have to decide who was responsible for causing the accident and were asked to vote, as a jury would, as to whether the driver or pedestrian is guilty.
Road safety officer Pam Williams said: “The production had some strong messages that could save lives and the pupils clearly enjoyed it too. If this makes just one pupil change their behaviour and avoid an accident then it is really worthwhile.”
One of the pupils, from Downend, said: “It was very influential, and really made it clear that you must think and be aware when near a road. It made it real seeing it like that, it could be one of us! I will certainly be aware when near traffic and make sure others that I am with are too.”
Pictured: The Decision Theatre Production
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Infrastructure Improvements
Sir Bernard Lovell Academy, Abbeywood Community School, Callicroft Primary, Abbotswood Primary and Rangeworthy C of E Primary all benefitted from new bike shelters during the Autumn terms to help secure the ever growing number of bicycles being ridden to school.
The staff and pupils actively travelling to Abbeywood Community School can also enjoy a safer school commute thanks to a new 20 mph speed limit and the introduction of speed tables.
Pictured: New Road Improvements
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Star Story - School Travel Challenge Success
In October 17 secondary schools and colleges in the West of England took part in Travelwest’s School Travel Challenge where students and staff logged their active and sustainable journeys online to win prizes. Over the 2 week challenge pupils were encouraged to travel on foot, bike, scooter, bus and even skateboard.
Worle Community School were the overall winners with 27% of pupils in the school taking part. Throughout the challenge Worle pupils logged 4,310 journeys, saving £1,113 and 904 kg of CO2 when compared to car journeys.
As a reward students were treated to a BMX stunt show with Professional BMX Flatland rider, Matti Hemmings. The BMX stunt-show, described as ‘breakdancing on a bike’, saw the riders perform a unique display of ground tricks with all kinds of complex twists and spins.
Abbie Edbrooke, Worle Community School’s Enrichment Programme and Educational Visits Manager, who champions active travel work in the school said:
“This year we have done so much -we have taken part in the Travel Challenge, which we won, and enjoyed a BMX stunt show with Matti Hemmings along with regular bike check sessions with Dr Bike, installing a new covered shelter for staff bikes and running assemblies and awareness lunchtime sessions. We even brought the smoothie bike into school!”
Other schools who took part in the challenge included Norton Hill School, reaching second place, and Priory Community School Academy, reaching third place.
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Top tips for the spring term
- See ‘Dates for the Diary’ and use any themed dates or events to promote or discuss walking, cycling or scooting.
- As days become longer and the weather starts to improve (hopefully) it’s a perfect time to encourage people to get back on their feet, bikes and scooters. Sustrans Six Week Guide to increasing active travel in school can help you with this.
- The Big Pedal is back between 18 and 29 April 2016. The Big Pedal is the UK’s largest inter-school cycling and scooting challenge, powered by Sustrans and supported by the Bike Hub. Each day of the challenge schools will compete to see who can record the greatest number of pupils cycling or scooting to school. This year there will be a five-day or one-day challenge. There will be fantastic prizes up for grabs in a daily draw, ranging from stunt shows to bike and scooter storage. See the website for more details.
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The Autumn Term In Numbers
In the West of England Partnership between September and December 2015
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- 32,020 positive active travel experiences were provided to pupils, staff and parents.
- Active Travel to School Officers collectively delivered 264 school-based activities.
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- 2,802 secondary school pupils and staff registered for the Schools Challenge in October, logging 10,564 sustainable travel journeys and saving over 2 tonnes of CO2 emissions, compared to making the same journeys by car.
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Schools have demonstrated impressive increases in active and sustainable travel after taking part in Sustrans’ Big Shift, Sustrans free-to-access online challenge which sets targets and charts success.
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During the Autumn Term South Gloucestershire schools have benefitted with:
- 512 pupils undertaking outdoor skills sessions
- 450 pupils undertaking Level 1 Bikeability Cycle Training
- 704 pupils taking part in classroom sessions
- 3,764 pupils engaged through assemblies
- 1,987 pupils taking part in activities and events
- 361 parents were engaged
- 1,630 pupils enjoyed a stunt show and/or theatre production
Total number engaged = 9,408
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January
- 25th Burns Night – write or research poems about walking, cycling or scooting.
February
- 8th Chinese New Year starts – renowned for their fireworks. Explore how to stay bright and visible on the school journey.
- 9th Pancake Day – Put on a pancake active travel breakfast for those who walk scoot or cycle to school.
- 14th Valentine’s Day – Show how much you love walking, cycling and scooting by ‘blinging’ your journey.
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March
- 6th Mothering Sunday
- 20th Spring Equinox and
- 27th British Summer Time Starts (clocks go forward) – perfect opportunities to kick start or relaunch Active Travel in your school.
April
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A big thank you…
We’re Emma Cocksedge, Active Travel to Schools Officer and Andy MacDonald, Sustainable Travel Skills Assistant. We've been working together to increase active travel in schools in South Gloucestershire.
Unfortunately the funding for the project is about to come to an end on 31st March 2016. We would like to say a big thank you to all the schools we've been lucky enough to work with for their enthusiasm, support and hard work. We will be in touch soon with information on support and resources available to you once the project ends to help your school to continue to benefit from Active Travel.
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Available in hard copy on request.
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