Glenwood Primary School puts best foot forward this Walk to School Week

A school principal has said that he has noticed pupils having more energy and are more engaged when they have walked to school.

Glenwood Primary School in Belfast is taking part in Walk to School Week [20–24 May] as part of this year’s Active School Travel (AST) programme with Sustrans, funded by Public Health Agency (PHA) and Department for Infrastructure.

Wesley Wright, Principal at Glenwood Primary School, said: “When our children walk to school there is a real buzz when they arrive and sense of camaraderie when they walk with their friends or family members. When they arrive at school, they are refreshed and energised, ready to start the day. We would really encourage other schools to get involved in Walk to School Week.”

Having joined the AST programme in September 2022, the number of pupils engaging in active travel at Glenwood Primary School has increased from 53% to 64%.

Dr Hannah McCourt, Senior Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement Officer at PHA, said: “Glenwood Primary School is one of around 500 schools that are part of the Active School Travel Programme and it’s great to hear they will be taking part in Walk to School Week to encourage pupils to travel actively. 

“Walking to school is a fun and interactive way for children to get moving more and incorporate physical activity into their daily routine. Being physically active helps to build strong bones, muscles and a healthy heart and supports the development of social skills, and encourages a sense of wellbeing. It also benefits children’s mental health and wellbeing, and with such a wide range of benefits we’d encourage as many people as possible to incorporate active travel, such as walking, in to the school runs.”

Craig Bradley, Vice Principal and Active School Travel Champion at Glenwood Primary School, said: “The majority of our children live within walking distance to our school and we noticed many were travelling by car so we thought some support from Sustrans would be helpful. We now organise walking buses every half term where our teachers travel to various locations and walk to school with our pupils. The uptake has been excellent and enables our pupils and staff to get some exercise and connect with each other.”

One of the pupils, Eden Rose, walks every day and is looking forward to taking part in Walk to School Week.

She said: “I walk home from school every day with my friends. I love it because when I get home I feel good about myself, I feel fit and reenergised. I’ve also taken part in our school walking buses where we all walk to school together. It’s great because you can get outside with your friends and have a laugh.”

Speaking about the AST programme, Beth Harding, Active School Travel Manager at Sustrans said: “We support schools with the aim of giving pupils the skills and confidence to make more active journeys to school and we can really see the impact this has had on Glenwood Primary School. Not only are pupils and their families enjoying the delights of an active school commute, but they’re also saving money, reducing congestion, improving the environment around their schools, and building healthy habits at a young age.”

Dr McCourt concluded: “The PHA would encourage as many families and schools as possible across Northern Ireland to get involved in Walk to School Week this year. It’s recommended that children should get at least 60 minutes of exercise each day and initiatives like these will really help contribute to this.”

To find out more about the Active School Travel programme, visit www.pha.site/ASTprogramme

For more tips and advice on getting active, visit www.ChooseToLiveBetter.com