What a wow way to get to school!
Families are encouraged to walk to and from school on Wednesdays. Children and parents do not travel as part of a formal walk to school scheme like a walking bus, they walk on their own.
Children are issued with WOW passport tally cards where they can fix special stickers they are given every time they walk to school on a Wednesday.
The KM Walk To School Team can provide schools with an optional trophy so that at the end of each week the class with the largest numbers of walkers can be presented with the trophy by the school's head teacher in assembly. Each week the trophy will be presented to the class with the most walkers. Children that complete sufficient walks during the year are presented with rewards.
The initiative works best if mention is made of WOW in every newsletter issued to parents by the school. Schools will see the number of walkers rise each week and this provides positive encouragement to parents to switch from car to foot power. Additional newsletters are provided by this charity to send home in the children's book bags to reinforce this message.
Three times a year the class with the most children walking to school involved with either WOW or the Green Footsteps Walking Bug initiatives are presented with a KM Green Footsteps Challenge Trophy by this charity. Every child in the winning class receives two free child entry tickets to Leeds Castle. Winning schools are automatically nominated for the Green Footsteps Challenge Award at the annual walk to school awards organised by the KM Walk To School Team.
Additional information for schools
Costs
Schools wanting to be involved with WOW will pay the charity an annual fee of £50 to assist with the administration of the project. This fee is heavily subsidised by scheme sponsors and local authorities.
Resources are sold at £25 per class. An optional banner can be bought for £50 for the school gates. A WOW trophy to present to the class with the most walkers each week costs £50.
Timetable
Schools have until the end of the summer term to sign up to WOW with a target start date in October.
Target areas
Any primary school can join the WOW initiative but proirity will be given to cluster groups of schools.
What to do next