Homebuilder helps Warwickshire pupils reflect on Walk to School month

The Warwickshire housebuilder gave the school 35 hi-vis kit bags for its pupils to use whilst walking to and from school, in order to ensure they are easily seen on the roads as the darker nights draw in.

Walk to School Month takes place during October each year and encourages pupils to celebrate the journey to school on foot.

Rebecca Ross, Head of School at Bilton C of E Junior School, said: “At Bilton Juniors, we know that walking to school has several benefits, including promoting physical and mental health, as well as teaching children important aspects of road safety. Regular physical activity, such as walking, can reduce anxiety, and help children feel more energised and focused. It also encourages children to become more independent and provides an opportunity for children to interact with their peers.

We encourage children at Bilton C of E Junior School to be environmentally aware and consider their contribution to a cleaner environment and reducing traffic congestion around our school. We would like to offer Barratt’s Homes our most sincere thank you for supporting the school in achieving this, particularly during Walk to School Month.”

Findings from the Department for Transport, following the National Travel Survey, identified that 49% of children between the ages of five and 10-years-old walked to school in 2022.

The donation from the homebuilder, based close to the school at its Ashlawn Gardens development, was designed to encourage pupils to stay active whilst making certain they remained visible during the darker nights and mornings.

Walking to school benefits children and their parents by increasing exercise and saving money on fuel, and it can even increase social interaction with other families who choose to walk to school and prevent stress by not driving during the rush hour.

Simon Francis, Managing Director at Barratt Homes Northampton, said: “Walk to School Month is a campaign that we will always actively support, as the safety of pupils walking to and from school is of utmost importance.

“We have a number of families moving into our Ashlawn Gardens development, so we hope the donation of hi-vis kit bagsto Bilton C of E Junior School will help its pupils to continue their commute on foot now we have fewer hours of daylight.”

Barratt Homes’ hi-vis kit bags have been particularly useful during Walk to School Month, whilst being certain to benefit the pupils in their future journeys to school throughout the winter months.

For more information about any nearby housing developments, visit the website at Barratt Homes in Warwickshire.