Posted on: Friday 28 November 2025
Pupils from Blenheim Road and Coed Eva Primary School have been praised for promoting healthier lifestyles by walking or wheeling to school.
A special school assembly was held on Thursday 27 November to celebrate their achievements.
Living Streets, a charity focused on promoting walking and wheeling as a safe, healthy, and sustainable mode of transport, has reported a significant drop in car journeys at both schools over the last few months.
Since September, the number of pupils driven to the school gates at Blenheim Road Primary School has reduced from 14% to 8%, and similarly, in Coed Eva Primary School the numbers have dropped from 15% to 7%.
As part of the celebrations, each school was given a new bike from Changing Gearz and a bike repair kit from the council’s Active Travel team.
Cllr Mandy Owen, Executive Member for Environment, said: “This is a fantastic achievement by pupils, staff and parents.
“Active travel improves health and well-being while reducing traffic outside schools. We hope more schools follow their example.”
Laura Service, xxxx, Living Streets, said: "We at Living Streets, loved being part of the day.
"It was particularly great to hear from the pupils about all the work they have been doing to encourage their classmates to travel actively to school as much as they can.
"It clearly makes a big difference to their everyday lives, making connections with nature along their routes, chatting with friends, and earning badges to celebrate their positive behaviour choices. Well done"
Kevin Weaver, Transition Officer, Changing Gearz, said: "Changing Gearz welcomes the increased focus on active travel to and from schools, a key part of our project to boost wellbeing.
“In partnership with council’s Active Travel team, we’ll repair all school bikes, create a bike library for children without bikes, and provide staff with basic training using donated toolkits—empowering the community to embrace this exciting initiative.”
Mr Keane, Executive Headteacher, said: "The WOW Tracker – Living Streets initiative has been transformational in changing active travel in our two schools.
"It makes it such a fun way for our children and classes to compete with themselves – and all in the name of fitter, happier and healthier families, community and planet.
"It’s led to us having the highest percentage of children actively travelling to school in Torfaen but, much more than that, it has changed the way our children and families think about travel and our community – with our schools at the very heart.”
The Federation schools are currently in top place on the Living Streets WOW tracker leader board in Torfaen, and Blenheim Road is ranked fifth in Wales.
The WOW travel tracker is an online platform designed to encourage and monitor active travel to school, such as walking, cycling, or scooting. It allows pupils to record their daily journeys, track progress, and earn badges for sustainable travel choices.
Families who want to continue the active travel journey can take advantage of Changing Gearz’s offer of low-cost bikes available to purchase this Christmas.