Nursery children are Walking Stars!
Children from three city nurseries have been enjoying learning about healthy ways to travel around the city – and the project has won them national accreditation.
On Friday May 20, Councillor Gill Mitchell chair of Brighton & Hove City Council’s Environment Committee will present Bronze Modeshift STARS. plaques and certificates to Footsteps Nurseries in Hove, Hollingbury and Portslade.
The nurseries are the first in the city to receive the accreditation, and are leading the way for others who are working towards the scheme.
Modeshift STARS is a national awards scheme which recognises schools and Early Years settings that have demonstrated excellence in supporting cycling, walking and other forms of sustainable travel.
Working with Brighton & Hove City Council’s School Travel Team the nurseries have been promoting active and sustainable travel by:
Joining in Walking Week
Creating a ‘5 Minute Walking Zone map’ for parents, carers and staff, asking them to walk at least the last 5 minutes to nursery when possible
Taking the children for walks in the local environment and actively discussing road safety
Walking to a pizza restaurant to make pizzas – on the walk there they looked for the green man and used a number of different types of crossing for the children to experience
Creating a zebra crossing in the garden
Visiting the local bus station and talking to bus drivers
Running a Scooter Training Week
Taking part in Road Safety Week in November
“The work that the Footsteps nurseries are doing is an excellent example of how nurseries and early years settings across the city can encourage active and sustainable travel,” said Councillor Mitchell.
“Walking, scooting or cycling to nursery, or parking away from nursery and walking the last 5 or 10 minutes, can contribute significantly to recommended activity levels, as well as helping to ease congestion around the city.”
Hannah Moss, Owner/Manager Footsteps Nurseries, Brighton & Hove, added: “Our work on Modeshift STARS has really helped our families, children and staff focus on active, safer and sustainable travel at our three nurseries.
“We are really pleased that all of the hard work we have done over the last few years has been recognised, and we are very proud of being the first nurseries in the city to be awarded Modeshift STARS.”
Brighton & Hove City Council’s School Travel Team is working with several other nurseries and early years settings to support them in achieving STARS accreditation.
Two schools in the city have also been awarded STARS – Moulsecoomb Primary has Bronze, and Coldean Primary has Silver. The three Footsteps nurseries are now working towards achieving Silver, and then Gold!
Nick Butler, National Modeshift STARS Manager, said: “We are really excited by the work Brighton and Hove City Council is doing with nurseries and other early years settings to help them achieve Modeshift STARS.
“We are closely following how the team at the Council is supporting nurseries, and we are looking at being able to roll out some of their ideas and initiatives across the country.”
Editor’s notes
Background to STARS:
Modeshift STARS is a national awards scheme which recognises schools and Early Years settings that have demonstrated excellence in supporting cycling, walking and other forms of sustainable travel.
Across the country, 80 schools and Early Years settings achieved STARS accreditation this Spring. Settings from Torbay to Newcastle have joined the growing number of schools and nurseries that have achieved STARS. This now stands at a total of 522. This year alone 209 schools have already been accredited with another large batch of applications expected over the summer.
Currently 55 organisations representing around 11,500 schools in England are signed up to the scheme.