Schools top of the charts for healthy biking

Pupils at over 30 schools in Central Bedfordshire recently pedaled an amazing 31,519 scooter and bike journeys to school during the national Big Pedal competition, which ran from 23 April to 4 May.

Top of the table was Fairfield Park Lower, which won the 5-day national large primary school challenge, with 81.2% of pupils cycling or scooting. Moggerhanger Lower wheeled in second, with 75% of pupils cycling and scooting during the two-week challenge. Moggerhanger Lower and Slip End Village School in Luton also both achieved top 100 national placings. Congratulations also go to Laburnum Lower and Gothic Mede Academy which both contended their first ever Big Pedal.

Etonbury Academy reached fourth place in the secondary school five-day challenge, and also won a prize of 35 cycle bags for their pupils. Edward Peake Middle School also participated and gained a massive 150% uplift in their daily scores compared to last year’s figures.

Over half a million children cycled and scootered to school across the UK, completing almost one million journeys over the two weeks. Schools will be presented with plaques and certificates, along with some special prizes of scooter pods and cycle equipment.

Alister Barclay, Sustrans Schools Officer for Central Bedfordshire Council, said: “Pupils always tell us that they want to cycle and scoot more to school. The Big Pedal gives them the opportunity to do this and it’s great to see how the Central Bedfordshire schools took up the challenge. It’s always great to see more and more pupils arriving at their school on bikes and scooters.”