Modeshift Active Travel Inspectors launches

Primary School Pupils are being given the opportunity to identify improvements required to the area in and around their school. This will be done through the Active Travel Inspectors (ATI) initiative, which aims to empower Key Stage 2 pupils to inspect their school neighbourhood, identifying ways to make walking, wheeling, and cycling easier and more enjoyable for school journeys.

Supported by school staff, pupils will become Active Travel Inspectors, tasked with assessing what supports or limits them from travelling actively. As a group, they will rate different aspects of the area and share ideas for improvements. Findings can be shared with local authorities, Modeshift and Active Travel England in order to contribute to improving everyday journeys for everyone.

The scheme has been developed by Modeshift and Active Travel England and is supported by the Department for Transport. Modeshift is a not-for-profit membership organisation that supports, inspires, and champions individuals and organisations that are working to deliver interventions and strategies to improve everyday journeys.

ATI was launched by the Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander MP, Chris Boardman, the National Active Travel Commissioner, Nick Butler, Chief Operating Officer at Modeshift and Josh Dean, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hertford and Stortford at Hollybush Primary School in Hertford.

Heidi, Chris and Nick joined teachers and members of the Modeshift team to take part in an inspection, which included a short bike ride around the roads close to the entrance to the school. ATI resources, which are provided by Modeshift, are available for free for any school in England – as long as they are registered with the Modeshift STARS scheme. They include PowerPoint slides to provide an introduction, a Teacher Activity Booklet and an Active Travel Inspector Activity Sheet.

Increasing the number of children walking, wheeling or cycling to school has many benefits. Not only is it positive for the mental and physical wellbeing of students, but it also helps to reduce congestion around schools and deliver better air quality. This initiative will play a vital role in educating children about those benefits, and empowering them to seek improvements.

All Swindon Schools are registered on the Modeshift STARS platform, so for more details about how to download your free toolkit, visit https://modeshift.org.uk/modeshift-stars/stars-education/active-travel-inspectors/