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Travel to School

Milford on Sea Primary School is proud to have worked with Modeshift STARS since 2018 to promote sustainable and active travel because we believe that it plays a vital role in the wellbeing of our pupils, our community, and our environment. By promoting walking, cycling or scooting to school, we aim to help children build healthy habits and help to reduce congestion and pollution in our local area, making it a better place to live and learn.

Modeshift STARS is the national schools award scheme that provides us with a clear framework to plan, deliver, and celebrate initiatives that support safer, healthier and greener travel. Through this partnership, we can ensure our efforts are meaningful, evidence-based, and part of a national movement to reduce congestion and carbon emissions around schools.

What are the initiatives that we take part in and why? 


Walktober– Walktober is a challenge held each October to celebrate International Walk to School Month. School communities are encouraged to get moving for Walktober by walking, wheeling and using other active and sustainable travel as much as possible throughout the month.  MOSPS takes part because walking, wheeling, cycling, scooting, using Park and Stride or public transport reduces car use, benefits health and wellbeing, has a positive impact on the local community by reducing congestion and improves air quality. 


Anti-idling – switching off your engine when you are stationary or parked reduces the pollution caused by exhaust fumes.  This is particularly important when parking along roads such as Manor Road which is a main route into school as children are especially vulnerable to these pollutants because their lungs are still developing and can cause or worsen conditions like asthma, lung disease and heart problems. 


Walk to School Week usually takes place in May and we encourage all of the children and staff to walk to and from school rather than travelling by car.  By doing this we hope to reduce pollution around the school and everybody gets a little bit of exercise on their way to school. 


Road Safety Week – Teaching road safety to children is vitally important and lifestyles are often heavily influenced by a family’s travel choices and local road safety. Danger from traffic plays a big part in whether children can walk or cycle to school, to the park or to see their friends. It also affects their ability to be healthy and socially active.  During Road Safety week we teach important road safety lessons via assemblies and in-class presentations that we hope the children will take through to their next life stage when they start to travel more independently.  


Parkwise Promise – We want to create a safer environment outside our school at the beginning and end of the school day. To help us do this we ask new parents to enroll in the Parkwise Promise scheme, promising to park safely and considerately around the school.   

 

 Below are some points to consider when parking, some are legal requirements:  

  • Do not park or stop on the ‘School Keep Clear’ zig zags  
  • Do not park opposite or within 10m (approx. 33 feet) of a junction 
  • Allow pedestrians better visibility by parking clear of any crossing points  
  • Unless signposted otherwise, do not park on pavements or verges  
  • Do not block vehicle access points including driveways  
  • Keep clear of bus stops or designated bus bays.  
  • You MUST NOT leave a parked vehicle unattended with the engine running or leave a vehicle engine running unnecessarily while that vehicle is stationary on a public road 

 

Time To Shine – Each year in the Autumn term, with the clocks going back and evenings getting darker, we highlight the importance of being seen to traffic.  We do this in a number of ways: in a special Time to Shine assembly, whilst in class by watching a presentation and discussing what we can do to make ourselves more visible to traffic and why it is important and encouraging children to wear hi-vis and reflective outer clothing into school on our Be Bright and Be Seen day. 

 

Help us in our mission by considering a change in how you travel to school.