Bike It Bronze Award
Senior school pupils at the Royal Alexandra and Albert School have been awarded the Bronze Bike It School Mark by Sustrans, the charity that promotes smarter travel choices. After the presentation on 16th January, Gayle Amorowson, the Bike It Officer for Sustrans said “the Royal Alexandra and Albert School has taken steps to reduce the number of car journeys pupils make coming to and from school. They have achieved the targets set in their school travel plan with an increase in the number of journeys taken by bike from 1% to 9%. This outstanding result has been recognised with the Bronze award.”
Teacher, Mr Ian Rowe, who has coordinated the programme within the School, commented “We have had activities to raise awareness of alternative ways of coming to school, especially by bike. There have been bike maintenance sessions, we provide information about safe routes to school and we have run the Bikeability course. Cycling is a more sustainable way to travel and pupils have welcomed the opportunity and independence they gain from cycling in to school.”
Half of the pupils at the Royal Alexandra and Albert School are boarders so they walk to school from their boarding houses, but there has been real change in attitude amongst the local children at the School. The location in Gatton Park doesn’t seem to provide obvious opportunities for cycling to school but there is a surprising number of public rights of way that pupils can use on their journey to school.
Jack, aged 12, cycles twice a week and explains “I like cycling to school. It’s quicker than walking and more fun.”
The School has installed new cycle racks for pupils to use and has run competitions, bike maintenance events and other initiatives to raise awareness of cycling. It is now working towards achievement of the Silver Award.
January 2012
