Policy & Practice: Policy into practice - Why the school walk is the best start for kids

We love our cars, but when usage is at the price of endangering our children's health and enjoyment while raising pollution and road accidents, it's clearly a recipe for some well thought-out Government policy. Certainly, progress has been made. The DfES has been working with the departments of environment, transport and health to ensure policy is integrated for school travel initiatives. After such a scheme, Wheatfields Junior School in St Albans saw the number of eight- to nine-year-olds walking to school rise from 45 to 75 per cent.

Such plans are adapted to the community, bringing together the views of everyone aff-ected by the school run: teachers, parents, children, school governors, local authorities and neighbourhood groups. Any campaign needs to engage the children as much as their parents. For example, the nationally successful Walking Bus scheme helps to address health, environment and congestion issues. In Rotherham, five schools operate seven bus routes with the "walking bus" made up of a group of children walking with two adults (usually parents), one at the front (driver) and one at the rear (conductor). The route goes past all their homes.