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Children from Lea Forest Primary Academy in Birmingham enjoyed a special visit to the West Midlands Combined Authority offices on 11 October, marking ‘International Walk to School’ month. The tour was a reward for the school’s participation in WOW – the walk to school challenge by Living Streets – which saw them reach the WOW top ten leaderboard in England this June.
During their visit, pupils explored the multi-agency camera suite used by Transport for West Midlands to monitor and manage transport across the region. The event celebrated the students’ commitment to walking or wheeling to school, promoting healthier and more sustainable travel options.
WOW encourages pupils to track how they travel to school using the WOW Travel Tracker. Students who walk, wheel, cycle, or scoot to school earn a monthly WOW badge, with additional badges available for those who ‘Park and Stride’ – parking 10 minutes from school and walking the rest of the way.
International Walk to School Month, held every October, sees children worldwide taking steps to healthier, more active lifestyles. Walking to school contributes to the 60 minutes of daily physical activity recommended by health experts and reduces the risk of long-term health issues for adults who accompany them.
While a generation ago, 70% of primary-aged children walked to school, that number has dropped to around 50%. Living Streets aims to reverse this trend by helping families choose cleaner and healthier ways to travel. Lea Forest Academy has set a brilliant example, achieving a 95.26% rate of active travel, with a significant reduction of almost 85% in pupils being driven the entire way to school.
Bally Seera, Career Pathways Lead at Lea Forest Academy, emphasised the school’s commitment to sustainability, saying:
“By using the WOW Tracker, we encourage students to adopt eco-friendly journeys to school, fostering a culture of environmental responsibility and healthy habits. Today’s visit celebrates their dedication to sustainable travel while inspiring future roles in creating a more sustainable world.”
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