Walk Smart! is the new name for the Councils child pedestrian training programme which has been delivered to children in years 3 and 5 across the city for the past few years. The programme consists of an outdoor and a classroom session encouraging discussions on road safety issues.
For the outdoor session children are taken out of school in small groups. They are given practical training and shown how to cross roads at different junctions with different crossings and shown the features that are available to keep them safe.
The classroom session is a discussion with the pupils to help them identify safer crossing places. We also discuss why they should wear bright clothing and a cycle helmet when out on their bikes, or wear a seatbelt in a vehicle and use the right car seat.
The feedback for Walk Smart! has been very positive and as a result the programme is increasingly popular with schools across the city.
In 2010 the Road Safety Team worked with around 57 schools and approximately 2370 children. This year it is hoped to teach even more pupils at even more schools.
Pupil from Archbishop Runcie First School. "Thank you for coming to our school and talking about road safety. Inside the class you answered the questions both easily and brilliantly. I also enjoyed going outside and learning about the green cross code and other stuff. I hope to see you and your team soon."
Each year in October and May the Road Safety Team support the Walk to School 
campaign and encourage children and their parents and carers to walk some or all of the way to and from school. The idea is to give everyone a chance to see how simple it can be. We promote the benefits of walking such as improved fitness and children being more alert in class as well as the reduction in congestion and pollution outside school.
If you would like information about Walk to School Week please speak to your Head Teacher who will let you know if your school is taking part.
City council and Newcastle Falcons help kick parking problems into touch
Newcastle City Council has teamed up with Aviva Premiership rugby club Newcastle Falcons to tackle parking problems in the Kinston Park area of the city. Following a request from the city council, the club is allowing parents picking up their children at nearby Kingston Park Primary to use its stadium car park, thus easing congestion around the school.
The club is also offering discounts for parents and children to attend games and use the club's restaurant and some of the Falcons stars say they will join the walk to school initiative ('The East Way' Walk and Stride Scheme) with parents and children whenever they can.
The Park and Walk alliance with the Falcons is one of a number of initiatives designed to ease traffic problems in the Kingtson Park area. The city council has also carried out work to make life better for pedestrians - including installing a new puffin crossing, improving pavements and creating dropped kerbs, making it easier for pushchair and wheelchair users to cross the road.
Leader of Newcastle City Council Cllr Nick Forbes visited the area to see the improvements for himself as part of the council's Let's Talk initiative that aims to gather grass-roots opinions from local people on the issues that matter to them. He led a walkabout of the area and talked with children and parents to hear their views on how the area could continue to improve.
Cllr Forbes said: "It was great to get out and about in Kingston Park to discover which issues are really affecting people in the area. Our work with the rugby club is a great example of a common-sense solution to a long-running problem and we've backed this up by making some practical improvements to local crossings and infrastructure."
Tiny Tots Learn Road Safety
Nursery children have been learning to stop, look and listen during a morning of road safety activities. Three and four-year-olds from Ashfield Nursery, on Elswick Road, have been learning to recognise danger signs and to stay safe, whether on foot, on bicycle, or in a car.
They took part in songs, stories and role play with the aid of a pretend zebra crossing, traffic lights, and fancy dress, in an event organised by the Early Years Road Safety team at Newcastle City Council.
Headteacher Anne Stoker said: "Once every term somebody comes in from the city council to talk to the children about road safety and it's a valuable learning exerience which they all enjoy.
"We has some road markings painted on the surface of the playground a while ago, so they can safely put what they learn into practice, and there's also the added benefit of children developing their listening and numeracy skills. We're situated on a busy road so it's all the more important - and many of the children even keep their parents right when it comes to road safety."
Road Safety Manager Cheryl Ford said: "The sessions are a light introduction to road safety issues which all the children can learn from and enjoy. It's important they know the dos and dont's of road safety at this early age and we'll take steps to reinforce that with a wide range of educational activities as they get older and more independent."
As well as the early years training, the city council offers road safety awareness training to every school in the city, including the Walk Smart programme for years 3-5 and a range of classroom-based activities to familiarise pupils with road signs, marking and other road features.
Walk to School Week confirmed for 21st - 25th May 2012.
The first of this years Walk to School events begins on Monday 21st May 2012.
Walking is a great way to travel to and from school and can help children and adults stay fit and healthy. It is also a chance to catch up with friends and enjoy the warmer weather.
Your school can take part in Walk to School week and free resources are available to every school in the City. Ask your Head Teacher to contact the Road Safety Team to order resources.
For more information about Walk to School Week visit www.walktoschool.org.uk
WOW stands for Walk Once a Week. It is aimed at primary school pupils to encourage them and their parents to walk to school at least one day a week throughout the year. Children record how they travel to school on a class wall chart and if they walk at least once a week throughout the month they receive a corresponding badge. There are 11 different badges to collect throughout the school year all designed by school children.
The Road Safety Team is promoting this initiative in schools across the City, targeting schools where car use for journeys is highest. This is a Living Streets campaign and the Road Safety Team are already seeing a reduction in the number of children being driven to school.
For more information visit www.walktoschool.org.uk
Look out for the Year of Walking, more details coming soon!
For more information about the Early Years Service, Walk Smart! programme or other walking initiatives please contact the Road Safety Team on 0191 2115961 or email road.safety@newcastle.gov.uk
Page last updated: 7 February, 2012
