Bagpiper leads children walking to school.
Children in Grantown on Spey will follow the tunes of a piper to primary school on Wednesday 4th October to mark national Walk to School Week and International Walk to School Month.
Local parents and carers have been encouraged to make use of a ‘Park and Walk’ scheme set up by Grantown Primary School, which involves dropping children off at Burnfield car park and walking to school. Pupils and parents were today, led by bagpiper Ian Fraser, to the crossing patroller at the school entrance.
Joining the children was Active Schools Coordinator Irene Blease who said: “This is a great idea. Dropping the children at this point does not inconvenience parents in any way and will not lengthen journey time. A short walk to school will be beneficial to the children’s physical health as well as waken them up, freshen their minds and prepare them for the start of their school day.”
Head Teacher Mairi Robertson said: “Parking at the school entrance has been a problem for some time. To cut down on congestion outside the school gates we are encouraging parents to drop their children a short distance from the school. Children can follow the painted footprints we have added to the pavement. They lead from Burnfield car park to our crossing patroller outside the school gates. I am hoping that parents will continue to use the ‘Park and Walk’ scheme in the future as this will help to reduce the road safety hazards directly outside the school.”
Parents are being asked not to drive past the front of the school on their way to the drop off point but to take an alternative route away from the school gates. During Walk to School Week a banner is in place outside of the school gates reminding parents of the dangers of parking on the zig-zag lines.
National Walk to School Week takes place from Monday 2nd - Friday 6th October.
'Walk to School' is a campaign aimed at parents, pupils and teachers which encourages them to incorporate regular physical activity into their daily lives by walking to and from school whenever possible. October is also International Walk to School Month - giving children, parents, school teachers and community leaders an opportunity to be part of a global event as they celebrate the many benefits of walking.
In addition to National Walk to School Week, the month of October is dedicated as International Walk to School Month and local children will be exchanging travel stories with schools in South Africa.
The scheme has been set up by Highland Councils School Travel coordinator, Ailsa Campbell, who has linked each school in Badenoch and Strathspey with an Eco-school in South Africa. It is hoped that children will exchange photographs, maps and letters all about their journey to school.
Ailsa said: “This is a perfect opportunity for our local children to learn about life in a society very different to our own. Many of the children in South Africa have to walk long distances to school each day and are happy to do so. Some of the children do not have the luxury of using a school bus, car, bicycle or even a pair of shoes! Many of the rural schools are in hot and arid areas where temperatures can exceed 45 oC in the summer time.
“The South African students are very excited to learn about Scotland. For some, English is not their first language and this is a valuable opportunity for many to improve their language skills. I hope that our Scottish children will learn valuable lessons from their experience.”
The number of children walking or cycling to school in the UK is continuing to decline. Highland region has higher numbers walking and cycling than in other parts of the UK but this can still be improved upon. It is hoped that this international exchange project will help to change attitudes and encourage more walking to school.
Further information about Walk to School Week can be found at www.walktoschool.org.uk/ and International Walk to School Month at: