Schools

Why do we need to change?

Walking your children to school or walking with them for fun on the weekends can provide an opportunity to spend some quality time with them. Allowing your child to walk to school, the shops, the park or to visit friends and family will have many positive benefits for their development.

Many children who do not currently cycle to school would like to do so. A 2001 survey of pupil's travel behaviour in the Lisburn City Council area showed that almost 50% of the children surveyed would prefer to cycle to school.

Travelwise NI Safer Routes to Schools is an initiative aimed at encouraging pupils and their parents who use the car as their primary method of travelling to school to transfer to other more environmentally friendly means, such as walking, cycling and public transport, through a package of practical and educational measures.

The Best Foot Forward for Schools programme has been developed to educate pupils, teachers and parents of the health, safety and environmental benefits of walking, cycling, car sharing and using public transport, particularly for shorter journeys including the "School Run" and everyday travel.

The programme is aimed at Key Stage 2 pupils and is delivered through a series of teacher led classroom and home based activities.