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, formerly Big Pedal, runs from 21 March to 1 April 2022. It highlights the benefits an active school run can have on children and young people’s physical and mental health and on the environment. It also saves fuel and public transport costs for parents.

During the two-week challenge, schools compete to record the greatest number of pupils walking, wheeling and cycling to school. Schools are entered into a daily prize draw for rewards including equipment and accessories if over 15% of pupils walk, wheel, scoot or cycle to school on that day of the challenge.

Over the 11 years since we've been running the schools challenge, thousands of children and their families have been inspired to ditch the car and travel actively to and from school.

The Big Walk and Wheel shines a light on how possible it is to swap polluting vehicles for a healthier, more active way to do the school run. Helping families to travel without a car is critical to cleaning up London’s air.

In a YouGov survey in 2021 half (49%) of UK school pupils said they were worried about air pollution near their school, while 57% of pupils described the environment around their school as having too many cars.

Tower Hamlets Council and Transport for London’s Healthy Streets Officer programme have helped to deliver 31 schools in the borough. These prevent motor traffic on streets outside school at drop-off and pick-up times, making it easier and safer for people to travel actively to school.

A funded study on the Mayor of London’s School Streets programme found that closing streets around schools to motor traffic at drop-off and pick-up times reduced levels of one of the most dangerous pollutants, nitrogen dioxide, by up to 23%.

And the biggest cause of air pollution in the capital comes from road vehicles. Councils must do everything in their power to transform their streets, making them safer and healthier for walking and cycling.

��ɫapp London Director James Cleeton said: “Our Big Walk and Wheel is a brilliant opportunity to shine a light on how great it is to walk, wheel, scoot and cycle to school. It’s an easy way for schools to encourage more families and children to choose active forms of travel and making them a permanent lifestyle choice. The school run can provide an important period of physical activity for children and form part of the recommended 60 minutes of daily exercise.

“But for families to make the change and do this all through the year, it makes sense for longer term measures like School Streets to be put in place. It’s great to see Tower Hamlets implementing these. It’s great when people start to feel the benefits including cleaner, healthier air and less congested streets.”

Headteacher of St Luke’s in Tower Hamlets, Cristina King, said: "Being part of ��ɫapp’ Big Walk and Wheel provides us with a great opportunity to get more people walking, cycling or scooting to school and take part in the fun challenge. It’s great for the children’s physical and mental health to spend time outdoors, being active.

“We love our permanent School Street. It makes such a difference to the environment around the school The School Street Project has made a significant impact on the environment around our school. We have seen an increase in the number of children cycling or scooting to school, and parents have responded overwhelmingly positively to the project. The pedestrianisation of Glenworth Avenue has made a real difference to the safety of children walking to school, coupled with the additional Zebra Crossing by the school." 

Director of Public Realm at Tower Hamlets Council, Dan Jones, said:

“��ɫapp Big Walk and Wheel is a great initiative to encourage children and families to walk, scoot and wheel to school instead of driving.

“In Tower Hamlets, we’re determined to address air pollution. Poor air quality is resulting in our children having up to 5% less lung capacity than the national average. Along with encouraging schools to take part in events like the Big Walk and Wheel, the council is rolling out 50 permanent School Streets around primary schools as part of our work to make our borough a place where it’s easy and convenient for children to get active while traveling to school safely.”