Step Up Step Up - December 2013 | Page 17

STEP UP PAGE 17 BE HEALTHY Rockmount shines for cutting car use Croydon’s Rockmount School has been named by Transport for London (TfL) as one of the four best primaries in London for promoting safe cycling and walking among pupils, parents and staff. Children and teachers from the Upper Norwood primary were recognised for their efforts at an annual event at London’s City Hall which saw the best-performing schools in the capital praised for their efforts over the past 12 months. TfL’s Stars (Sustainable Travel: Active, Responsible, Safe) scheme assesses school travel plans, and some 40% of London schools are now registered. Rockmount has achieved a gold Stars standard and stood out above every other primary school in the region for its success in cutting car use and increasing the number of journeys made by ‘…one of the four best bicycle or on foot. primaries in London for The council has supported the school over the past few years promoting safe cycling and has provided pool bikes to encourage cycling. Last year, and walking…’ prior to the Olympics, children were taken to the Herne Hill Velodrome to motivate them to get on their bikes rather than traveling to school by car. Leon Daniels, managing director of TfL Surface Transport, said: “We want to ensure that travelling in London is a happy, healthy and safe experience for young people and their families. We are delighted to invite London’s top-performing schools to the Stars event, to thank them for their commitment to encouraging the whole school community to make safer and active choices, which will stay with them for life. We’d also like to thank these schools in particular for being an inspiration and example to all schools in London, showing what can be achieved.”