Over 300 pupils at Newport CE Primary school proved they were a wow on wheels recently when they took part in a Whizzing Wheels week, organised by the charity Sustrans.
Supported by the Sustainable Travel Transition Year Fund (STTY) through the Isle of Wight Council and funded by the Department of Transport, Sustrans is working with Isle of Wight schools to provide children with the skills, confidence and information necessary to ride their scooters and bikes to school on a regular basis.
Whizzing wheels week saw Tom Ransom, Sustrans active travel schools officer for Newport and West Wight visit Newport CE Primary intensively over the space of a week and undertake scooter and cycle skills sessions with all year groups, from reception class up to Year 6. This included sessions where the children learnt how to ride/scoot in set ways to practice the type of skills they will need on their daily ride/scoot to school. Skillsets included how to politely ask a pedestrian to move aside so you can scoot through or how to look behind over your shoulder for cars as you ride forward.
Executive member for public transport, tourism, recreation and heritage, Councillor Shirley Smart, said:
“Walking, scooting and cycling to work is a great sustainable way for our children to get the exercise they need to keep healthy every day, with the added benefits of keeping children more alert in school and helping the environment at the same time.
“It’s great to see Newport CE Primary linking so enthusiastically with Tom on this and it is clear that the children have really benefited from their involvement.”
Tom Ransom is 1 of 4 Sustrans officers, working with schools across the Island. This term so far, an amazing total of 117 cycling skills and 115 scooter skills sessions, led by the officers, have taken place. Other schools in the Tom’s area of Newport and West Wight that have taken part or booked in for the Whizzing Wheels Week this term are Carisbrooke C of E Primary, St Saviours RC Primary and Nine Acres Primary.
Tom said:
“I work with schools across Newport and the West Wight. Newport CE Primary is fast becoming a flagship active travel school in my cluster of local schools.
“With dedicated staff as champions, a fired up pupil “active Crew” and a mass of children riding and scooting to school regularly, the primary school’s active children are reaping the benefits in better health, class attainment and reduced congestion on the school run.”
Rosie Colson, Newport CE Primary’s schools travel champion, said:
“We were thrilled to invite Tom back into school for the ‘Whizzing Wheels’ week. The children thoroughly enjoyed the experience they were offered. In school, we keep a daily count of how many children bike or scoot to school and have seen a healthy rise in numbers since Whizzing Wheels week.
“As well as learning basic road safety, bike and scooter skills, the children also learnt about the positive impact active travelling by bike or scooter has on the environment and on their own health.”
The week ensured that the children were well prepared for their Bikeability cycle proficiency course which is aimed at Year 6 pupils and carried out in schools by the Isle of Wight Council’s road safety team.
