Two Worthing schools recognised for work to promote active travel

West Sussex County Council said Thomas A Becket Junior School and Lyndhurst Infant School have been awarded ‘good’ travel plan accreditation by Modeshift STARS.

This is the online travel planning and road safety resource used by the county council.

"Modeshift STARS (Sustainable Travel and Road Safety) Travel Plans record how schools encourage pupils and their families to leave the car at home and use active travel instead, such as walking, scooting or cycling,” a council spokesperson said.

"Thomas A Becket Junior in Glebeside Avenue has a longstanding commitment to travel planning and regularly promotes active journeys to school. Its ethos was one of the reasons the school was chosen for one of the county council’s first school street trial initiatives that were funded by Active Travel England (ATE).”

Headteacher Becky Linford said everyone at Thomas A Becket Junior is ‘delighted to have been recognised’ by Modeshift STARS for the ‘active work we do as a school to promote safe travel to and from school’.

She added: “The whole school community is committed to promoting sustainable and active travel and are very pleased to be involved in the School Street scheme initiative, which has proved highly successful.”

Lyndhurst Infant School, Lyndhurst Road, has had a ‘robust travel plan in place for many years’, the county council said.

It is ‘anticipated this ethos will continue’ when the school amalgamates with Chesswood Junior to form a primary from September on the Chesswood Road site – where the county council is providing an active travel to school crossing improvement.

Headteacher Di South said: “We were really proud to be awarded a ‘good’ level for our travel plan. Part of our school ethos is active learning and we encourage all pupils to travel to school by scooter or on foot!

"We encourage the whole school community to use the roads with care and talk about safe crossing. We constantly remind families about safe parking! We look forward to expanding our Travel Plan when we become Homefield Primary school in September.”

Joy Dennis, the county council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, presented certificates at the two schools.

She said: “Both schools are excellent examples of how travel plans can be used to help prioritise active travel to school and I congratulate them.

“Lyndhurst Infant School has engaged with its travel planning for many years: we look forward to seeing this enthusiasm transferred to the new primary travel plan from September.

“We hope that by sharing these achievements we can encourage other schools to update their travel plans to an accredited level.”