Bembridge Primary School is the first school on the Isle of Wight to win a coveted Sustrans silver award, in recognition of its achievements in encouraging sustainable travel to and from school.
The award is part of a schools scheme called Sustrans School Mark, aimed at encouraging pupils on the Island to consider more sustainable ways of travelling to school. The scheme is delivered by Sustrans, the UK charity helping people to travel sustainably, in partnership with Island schools.
Bembridge Primary School’s award is just one of the 32 silver School Marks in the Sustrans South area and there have only been 146 silvers School Marks awarded in total since the scheme began in 2009.
It is 1 of 11 projects being delivered by the Isle of Wight Council through its Sustainable Travel Transition Year programme, using external funding secured competitively from the Department for Transport.
To win the silver award, Bembridge’s travel champion, deputy head teacher Lindsey Stapeley, appointed a pupil Active Travel Crew who assisted her with a variety of events and projects that included:
- night time Glow Rides;
- holding two bike light sales;
- increasing their scooter storage by installing two new scooter pods;
- receiving two grants to develop their cycling and scooting offer to their school community;
- holding two Dr Bike sessions servicing over 50 children’s bikes;
- carrying out a school community bikers breakfast which was attended by over 120 people, (parents and children);
- initiating a Balanceability programme for the younger children to teach them how to ride bikes, as part of their grant funding process;
- holding Bikeability for over 10’s during the summer term, which is bike training on the road;
- using a Sustrans teddy bear that year 1 pupils take it in turns to take home for an adventure with their families. The idea is that parents take the bear out on bikes, scooters or walk. The children take photos, draw pictures and write up what they have done.
Isle of Wight Council Executive member for transport and infrastructure, Councillor Ian Ward, said:
“I’d like to congratulate Lindsay Stapeley, the pupils of Bembridge Primary School, and in particular, the Bembridge Active Crew, for all their hard work that has led to this great award.
“Every journey, such as the school run, has an impact, whether it is on the environment, ourselves or those around us. The council is committed to creating safe, healthy and environmentally friendly journeys to school through partnership initiatives such as this.”
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Bembridge Primary School’s travel champion, Lindsey Stapeley, said:
“We are very proud to be the first island school to achieve the silver award and we could not have done this without our whole school community working together: children, parents and school staff.”
Ross Edmunds, 1 of 4 Active Travel schools officers based on the Isle of Wight, said:
“I am thrilled that Bembridge Primary School has achieved the Silver award.
“Cycling and scooting to and from school is now part of everyday life. I am confident that active and sustainable travel will go from strength to strength at the school, which in turn will inspire other schools on the island to do the same”.
