West Dulwich children form a walking bus to celebrate Walk To School Week

Local children in West Dulwich formed a walking bus this week to celebrate Walk To School Week.

Cars were left at home as the children, many from Rosendale Primary School in Herne Hill, walked, scooted and cycled to school.

Demand was high and two walking bus routes were laid on, with parents and children joining at bus stops along the way.

“It’s nice to get some exercise before school,” said Rosie Tudor, 44, who took the Park & Stride option with her son, and left her car at the beginning of the bus route, far away from the school gates.

“It’s been really sociable,” she said, “I’ve chatted to people I wouldn’t normally, and because we’re walking, it’s less pressured.”

Her son Wilf Tudor-Wills, 8, agreed that he had mainly enjoyed Walk To School Week, although “it depends” he said, eyeing the rainy sky.

Kate Atkins, the head teacher at Rosendale said: “I am delighted that we are supporting this great initiative.

“We want to get children to appreciate the benefits of exercise from a really early age, we can see how it makes them smile, improves concentration and develops good habits for later life”

Walk To School Week is run each year by Living Streets, a charity dedicated to everyday walking.

This year, as post-pandemic traffic has increased, nearly double the amount of Lambeth schools have signed up to the scheme, amid concern that children on the school run are exposed to higher amounts of air pollution than at any other time

Photo credit: Joe Twigg