Primary school in Tring scoops national award for its sustainable travel drive

A school in Tring has received a national award for its outstanding school travel plan.

Bishop Wood Church of England Junior School has received the prestigious Modeshift STARS ‘Primary School of the Year’ award.

The school has been recognised for its excellence in supporting cycling, walking and other forms of sustainable and active travel.

Since 2015 Janet Reeve, teacher at Bishop Wood and School Travel Plan Champion, has been leading the school community into achieving a huge reduction in car use on journeys to and from school.

All this hard work has resulted in 95 per cent of pupils choosing to walk, cycle or scoot to and from school, keeping them healthy and assisting in reducing congestion and pollution from vehicles.

In addition to the award, Bishop Wood is just one of eight schools in the country to have been awarded the Platinum Accreditation through the Modeshift STARS scheme.

There are currently 94 Modeshift accredited schools in Hertfordshire, two of which are in Tring.

National Chair of Modeshift STARS, Ross Butcher, presented Janet with Bishop Wood’s award at a recent celebratory school assembly.

Janet Reeve said: “As a school, we are passionate about sustainable travel, and having promoted it for so many years, it has become part of our culture.

"With Modeshift's support, we will continue to strive to keep our green travel percentage as high as possible.”

Ross Butcher, from Modeshift said: “I cannot express enough how impressed I am with Bishop Wood. Their on-going dedication and action to sustainable travel is an inspiration to schools across Hertfordshire and the rest of the country.

“The parents, carers, staff, governors and pupils should be very proud of their achievement and, more importantly, for creating a healthier, happier, greener and safer community.”

Phil Bibby, cabinet member for highways and transport, Hertfordshire County Council, said: ‘’I’m delighted that Bishop Wood has been recognised nationally with this prestigious Modeshift award for their school travel plan.

‘’It truly embodies our desire to have a cleaner, greener and healthier Hertfordshire.’’

Each year, Bishop Wood has delivered Pedestrian Skills Training for its pupils as well as running a well-established Junior Travel Ambassador Scheme; this scheme supports pupils to develop their own targeted campaigns, designed to change the behaviours of their peers and parents/carers by encouraging healthy lifestyles. This includes promoting active travel.