Ysgol Glannau Gwaun celebrates prestigious Gold Active Travel award

There were special celebrations for pupils from Ysgol Glannau Gwaun after becoming one of only nine schools in Wales to reach Gold Active Travel status.

Pupils from the school recently travelled to the Senedd in Cardiff to receive their prestigious Walk, Wheel, Cycle Gold Active Travel Award.

This was the second time Glannau Gwaun pupils have headed to the capital present all their active travel projects to a range of audiences.

The school now has a fleet of 60 scooters and 40 bicycles, enabling children from Nursery through to Year 6 to develop their skills and confidence.

Through a variety of grants and funding opportunities, the school provides weekly cycling and scooter sessions for all pupils, regardless of age or ability.

In 2023, only 11 of 41 pupils were able to complete their Level 1 and 2 cycle training because many did not have access to a bicycle but since then the school has worked hard to turn that around and thanks to investment in school bikes, every pupil can now take part in cycle training. Older pupils also support younger learners by leading balance bike and scooter sessions.

Progression Step 3 pupils have designed a 1.5km community scooter trail, which begins at Fishguard Library and finishes in Goodwick that is not just for them but the whole community. To further promote active travel, the school loans scooters to families, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to participate.

Staff also help run a walking bus to after-school music activities at the secondary school, while the School Senedd regularly develops new initiatives to encourage active travel, such as a recent six hour scootathon that raised £1,000 for the RNLI.

Recently the school held a special celebration day for all pupils to mark the significant achievement where Fusion Extreme delivered BMX workshops, and British BMX champion Matti Hemmings impressed everyone with a spectacular display of skills.

Pupils also presented the journey to achieving Gold status to parents, governors and community partners, including Transition Bro Gwaun, which helped fund the school’s bicycle fleet.

Headteacher Mrs Mari Jones said: “I am incredibly proud of our pupils, whose enthusiasm, leadership and commitment have driven many of the initiatives that contributed to this award.”

Deputy Headteacher Mrs Sharon Osborne added: “We are extremely grateful to the Pembrokeshire Road Safety Team, Alice, from the Walk, Wheel, Cycle Trust, Transition Bro Gwaun and the Catrin Vaughan Foundation for their support.

“Their funding and resources have enabled our pupils to develop exceptional cycling and scooting skills, alongside valuable leadership and communication skills. This has culminated in pupils confidently presenting their achievements to a wide range of audiences.”

The pupils are clear that their active travel journey does not end here. With many new ideas already being planned, there is plenty more to come from Ysgol Glannau Gwaun. As the pupils proudly say, nothing stands still at Ysgol Glannau Gwaun!