Active Hambrough 2025 - 2026
Active Hambrough 2025-2026
This year, we continued to strengthen, promote, and embed our well-established travel and health initiatives across the school. Once again, we actively participated in a wide range of programmes designed to encourage children to be active, healthy, and safe.
Throughout the year, we consistently reinforced our commitment to healthy and safe travel with parents and carers through a variety of communication channels, including letters, emails, newsletters, gate banners, school displays, website updates, and face-to-face discussions during gate duty, parent forums, and induction meetings for new families.
The academic year began with a focus on active travel during our first INSET day, when staff were consulted and the 2025–2026 School Development Plan (SDP) was introduced. In recognition of our commitment to renewing our Gold accreditation, active and sustainable travel was identified as a standalone priority within the SDP, ensuring it remained a key focus throughout the year.
A dedicated travel working group, consisting of the Headteacher, Travel Champion, and a Governor, met to develop an action plan that linked travel initiatives with the Healthy Schools programme, PSHE, and the Rights Respecting Schools Award (RRSA)
SCHOOL STREETS
Following our introduction to the School Safe Streets scheme in 2024, we continued to support the initiative throughout this academic year as part of our commitment to improving road safety around the school. Vehicle access to St Joseph's Drive remained restricted between 8:30–9:15 a.m. and 3:00–4:00 p.m. on school days.
The core aims of the School Safe Streets scheme—to reduce traffic congestion, improve safety for pupils and families, and enhance local air quality—continued to be promoted and reinforced throughout the year. Parents and visitors were regularly reminded that Hambrough Primary School cannot accept responsibility for any penalty charges or fines incurred as a result of breaching School Safe Streets restrictions when travelling to or from the school.
TRAVEL EXPLORER AMBASSADORS
We started the year with confirming our group of Travel Explorer Ambassadors (previously called JTAs) for this academic year. Following elections, a new group of ambassadors were appointed for the academic year 2025/2026. Our travel ambassadors were invited by the local authority to attend a Fun day on 22nd October at Greenford Hall. Aim & Outcome: The event was successful in promoting, active travel as we worked with other schools and shared good ideas with other schools and celebrated our own efforts in building healthy attitudes towards travelling. They were introduced to the school in a whole school assembly during road safety week on 17/11/25 and registered with the Local Authority by JV.
10 ambassadors confirmed for 2025/2026 were appointed. Their main focus will be to promote and cascade messages of sustainable active travel and reinforce the school’s sustainability /active travel agenda to the school community – first task to support teachers to conduct a hands up survey which they did on 19/11/25 and promote road safety week during an assembly on 17 November. (Read more in Newsletter no 3 (16/10/25) – pages 7 & 8)
ACTIVE TRAVEL CHALLENGE:
As part of Road Safety Week in November 2025,. Children were invited to design posters at home, incorporating this year’s road safety theme: “Be Bright, Be Seen, Be Active.” The winning designs were later transformed into large banners and displayed at the front of the school.
Outcome: A total of 55 entries were submitted. Two winning designs were selected to be featured on banners, while several other standout entries were showcased on the Road Safety Display Board in the school foyer. The final banners were professionally produced and installed at all three main entrances to the school. (Read more in Newsletter 5, 05/12/25)
DESIGN A BOOK MARK COMPETITION: The Travel Explorer Ambassadors also helped promote the Design a Bookmark Competition, organised by the local authority. During Road Safety Week, the entire school, from Nursery to Year 6, took part in the Bookmark Challenge.
Each child received a bookmark featuring the winning design from last year's competition (ST). Pupils were encouraged to bring their bookmark to school each day, where the Travel Explorer Ambassadors stamped them each morning in the playground. Stamps were awarded to children who travelled to school by walking, cycling, or scooting.
The Ambassadors also compiled daily class participation tallies to monitor engagement throughout the challenge. Letters, together with the bookmarks, were sent home to inform parents about the initiative and encourage their support and involvement.
Objective: To promote active travel by encouraging pupils to walk, cycle, or scoot to school.
Outcome: Pupils responded with enthusiasm, demonstrating a noticeably positive attitude towards active travel. We were delighted to learn that, for the second consecutive year, one of our pupils, AS, was selected as a winner of the Design a Bookmark Competition.
AS received a rucksack filled with prizes in recognition of this fantastic achievement. Read more in Newsletter 8 (09/02/26).Bottom of Form
INDEPENDENT TRANSPORT /INDEPENDENT TRAVEL (2025/2026)
At the beginning of the new academic year, as part of preparing pupils for their transition to secondary school, the school actively encourages independent travel for all Year 6 students. Pupils are permitted to travel to and from school on their own, with this message reinforced by Year 6 teachers and during dedicated police talks. Children are also taught about safe, responsible, and respectful travel behaviour. Parental consent is required, and a permission form must be completed and approved by the Headteacher.
ROAD SAFETY WEEK: Road Safety Week took place from 17th to 21st November, with participation from the entire school community. The entire school took part in Road Safety Week, beginning 17th November. A programme of activities was planned by a working party, including the Travel Ambassadors, under the theme “Be Bright, Be Seen.” The week’s events were introduced during a launch assembly on Monday 17th November and promoted further through the school newsletter. Activities throughout the week included a launch assembly run by the Travel Ambassadors, a Road Safety “Design a Poster” competition, a bookmark challenge, pedestrian skills training, Be Bright, Be Seen Stall, Bling Day, a themed lunch, and peer reading sessions. The aim of the week was to educate pupils about road safety and active travel, while promoting the importance of being visible and staying safe when travelling. All activities were led by teachers, and as a result, pupils have developed a greater awareness of active travel, sustainable transport, and how to stay safe on the roads.
The week was rich in learning and energy, and the school promoted the theme through letters and newsletters. (For more details, see Newsletter 4 – 14/11/25 and Newsletter 5 – 05/12/25).
Activities Throughout Road Safety Week Included:
- Virtual Launch Assembly
Led by the Headteacher, the virtual assembly introduced students to road safety concepts and encouraged active travel. - Hands-Up Travel Survey
Our annual "Hands-Up Survey" was conducted to gather data on pupils' travel habits and better understand the school’s travel culture. - Road Safety Poster Competition
The Travel Explorer Ambassadors organised a "Design a Poster" challenge, inviting all pupils to create artwork promoting road safety. The response was overwhelming, and winning designs were turned into banners displayed outside the school. - Active Bookmark Challenge
Ambassadors promoted the Local Authority’s Bookmark Challenge by stamping bookmarks each morning for children who walked, cycled, or scooted to school. - Walk a Mile
Every class was scheduled to walk a mile in the playground during the week. This activity has now become a regular part of the school day for many classes, even outside of themed weeks. - Pedestrian Skills Training (Year 3)
Year 3 classes received pedestrian skills training and learnt essential road safety skills to make them safer pedestrians. Due to budget cuts, training this year was delivered by teachers in two separate groups. Each group received one 90 minute training session on pavements around the school. The training was an invaluable skill for children to acquire. - Themed School Lunch – Friday 21st November
Pupils enjoyed another one of Caroline’s delicious themed lunches in celebration of Road Safety Week. - Peer Reading Sessions
Older pupils were paired with younger pupils to share road safety-themed books, including Tales on the Road, helping to spread safety messages through age-appropriate storytelling. - Cycling Proficiency Programme (Years 5 & 6)
In partnership with Cycle Instructor.com, our KS2 cycling programme continued this year. Training sessions were held during the weeks of 24th–28th November 2025 and 16th March 2026, providing students with valuable cycling skills and road safety awareness. - Bling Stall – Our travel ambassadors organised a Bling stall. The Travel Champion (JV) purchased the items using the Travel Budget, and the ambassadors ran the stall on 19th November. They set the prices and sold the items to pupils in preparation for Bling Day on 20th November. Result:
The stall was very successful, with just over half of the total costs recovered through sales. Any remaining items will be saved for use as prizes for pupils. - "Bling Day” – 20th November
“Be Bright Be Seen” theme, we held a “Bling Day” on 20/11/25. Children were encouraged to decorate (“bling”) their bikes, scooters, bags or water bottles to make them brighter and more visible. Prizes were awarded for the most creative and eye-catching designs. The event produced a high level of participation across the school. Children showed great creativity, and the activity helped reinforce the importance of being visible and staying safe when travelling to and from school. The enthusiasm and engagement demonstrated that the road safety message had been clearly understood.
- Scooter Skills
Building on last year’s success, teachers continued to incorporate balance bike and scooter training into outdoor play sessions. These activities help develop coordination, confidence, and readiness for pedal bikes. scooter training sessions were organised for Key Stage 1 pupils at Hambrough on 1 May 2026. The training was delivered by Team Rubicon and was designed to help children develop the skills and confidence needed to ride their scooters safely and responsibly. During the sessions, pupils learned how to control their scooters, stop safely, manoeuvre around obstacles, and understand basic safety rules for travelling in shared spaces. The practical activities provided an enjoyable and engaging opportunity for children to develop their road awareness and active travel skills.
- Early Years Road Safety Lessons
In Nursery and Reception, children learned about road safety through fun, interactive PSHE lessons using drama and role-play. These age-appropriate sessions helped introduce key safety messages in an engaging way.
CROSS CURRICULUM LINKS
- As official adopters of Southall Station we continued with our strong community links and in addition to travelling on the Elizabeth Line during school trips we arranged two separate trips linking them to the History and Early Years curriculums. On the 10th and 11th March 2026, our nursery children enjoyed a wonderful train journey from Southall Station to Ealing Broadway, linking the experience to the story they had been reading in class, The Train Ride. The children walked to the station accompanied by parents and staff, learning about road safety along the way. This was their first “walking” trip as a group, which made it particularly special. For many of the children, it was also their first time seeing a train or visiting a train station, making the day an exciting and memorable adventure. In March again, Year 4 visited the station to receive talks and a tour of the new station linking their learning to their history topic “The First Railways”.
- As part of this year’s Book Week celebrations, the school participated in an Active Storytelling session hosted at Villiers High School. Eight children were selected to represent the school and took part in a range of active, sports-based storytelling activities. The children walked to Villiers High School and participated alongside pupils from other schools, competing in a variety of fun and engaging challenges. They were also able to wear their World Book Day costumes while taking part in the activities, which added to the excitement of the event.Result: This activity supported cross-curricular learning, linking English (storytelling and narrative), Physical Education (movement, coordination, and teamwork), and PSHE (confidence, collaboration, and positive participation). By combining storytelling with physical activity, pupils were able to engage with literature in a creative and active way while developing a range of wider skills. The children thoroughly enjoyed the experience and were highly engaged throughout the activities. All children came back with medals for participation. One child from our school (AV) was chosen out of all the schools and awarded for the best dressed up outfit. The event successfully combined physical activity with storytelling, helping to promote both reading and staying active.
- Voices for change: In preparation for Walk to School Week, our school choir practised a new Active Travel song composed by the Music Teacher. The choir performed the song during a whole-school singing assembly, helping to raise awareness of the benefits of active travel and encouraging pupils to consider healthier and more sustainable journeys to and from school. The performance generated enthusiasm across the school community and supported the promotion of the activities planned for Walk to School Week. The new Active Travel song was well received by pupils and staff and has now replaced the previous Active Travel song on the school website. The song continues to promote key active travel messages and serves as a lasting resource to encourage sustainable travel choices among pupils and their families.Link to the video on the school website: Hambrough Primary and Nursery School - Active Travel & Travel Safety
Police talk - citizenship training during 2025 /2026
We have strong links with the local police & each year a police schools safe officer delivers age appropriate safety talks around various topics (including road safety & people who help us) to Year 6 as part of their transition to high school. Talks around personal safety, safety on public transport, good travel behaviour, and general other transitional talk this year took place on 3rd October 2025 (as part of the “Keeping Safe talk”) for Year 6 pupils & Y6 parents by PC Kidding. Children also took part in a citizenship training on 2nd July when similar topics around safety were covered. Help children stay safe & grow into confident, caring & responsible young citizens. Children are reminded of and are more aware of independent travel, being road safe, building good travel behaviour and other safety issues.
WALK TO SCHOOL WEEK (19th -23rd May 2025): Walk to School Week was held during the week commencing 19 May 2026. The event was promoted through letter s a school newsletter and a special whole-school singing assembly, during which the choir performed our new Active Travel song. The Junior Travel Ambassadors (JTAs) also introduced the range of activities planned for the week, including an Active Travel Challenge, Bookmark Stamping initiative, scooter training sessions, Happy Shoes Day, a themed lunch, a mountain bike show, Year 6 cycling lessons, a Wear Green for Earth Day event, and a road safety sign competition. A noticeable increase in the number of children walking to school was observed throughout the week. This was evidenced by data collected by the ambassadors through a hands-up travel survey conducted on 21 May 2026.
Activities Throughout Walk to School Week Included:
- Our enthusiastic Ambassadors once again ran the LA Active Travel Bookmark Challenge throughout the week and were found in the playground at the beginning of the day sticking stamping children’s bookmarks, if they had taken part in the challenge i.e. walked/cycled/scooted to school. Children were encouraged to continue to walk/cycle/scoot to school throughout the period, helping to increase physical activity, reduce congestion and air pollution around the school gates. A positive attitude was noticed in pupils. Aim: To encourage children to walk, cycle scoot to school. Class winners were announced at a celebration assembly and prizes (new pencils awarded).
- Happy Shoes Day: As part of our Walk to School Week celebrations, Hambrough held a Happy Shoes Day for all pupils on 19 May 2026. Children were invited to wear their favourite shoes that help them to walk, run, and stay active. The event was used as an opportunity to promote the benefits of walking and active travel while encouraging pupils to think about healthy and sustainable ways of getting to school. To take part, pupils made a voluntary donation, with funds raised contributing towards active travel initiatives within the school. Result: Happy Shoes Day was a great success, with high levels of participation from pupils and families. The event helped to raise awareness of the importance of walking as part of a healthy lifestyle and generated enthusiasm for Walk to School Week activities. A total of £212.02 was raised through donations. These funds will be used to help cover the cost of the Mountain Bike Show that also took place during Walk to School Week, further supporting the school's commitment to promoting active and sustainable travel. (Read Newsletter no 12)
- On Thursday 21st May a special walking themed lunch was served and enjoyed by all children.
- On Friday 22nd we celebrated Go Green for Clean Air Day and the whole school wore green clothes to school – this linked with the School Streets scheme.
- In addition, as always, we continued to walk a mile in the playground as scheduled in our timetable.
- Mountain Bike Show - As part of Walk to School Week, Hambrough held a Mountain Bike Show for the whole school on 18 May 2026. The event was organised to promote cycling as a healthy, active, and sustainable mode of travel while reinforcing important bike safety messages. During the show, pupils were treated to an exciting display of mountain bike skills and stunts performed by a professional rider. Throughout the performance, key road safety and cycling safety messages were shared, including the importance of wearing helmets, checking that bikes are roadworthy, and following safe cycling practices. Although the Mountain Bike Show is a relatively expensive event to organise, the school was committed to providing this valuable learning opportunity. To help meet the cost, funds raised through our Happy Shoes Day event were used to contribute towards the show's funding. The Mountain Bike Show was a highly engaging and memorable experience that captured the attention of pupils across the school. Children thoroughly enjoyed watching the impressive stunts and demonstrations, while also learning valuable information about bike safety and responsible cycling. The event generated enthusiasm for cycling and active travel, encouraging more pupils to consider cycling as a safe and enjoyable way to travel to school.
- Reception Visits to the Library: As part of the school’s focus on encouraging children to read for pleasure Reception children WALKED to Southall Library in June. This was their first independent school trip and a great opportunity to explore their environment, learn about being active and being safe on the road.
CYCLING (BIKEABILITY COURSES): The school continued its long-established cycling proficiency programme for Key Stage 2, once again delivered by Cycle Instructor.com for Year 6 pupils in November 2025. During the 2025–2026 academic year, sessions for Year 6 took place from 24th to 28th November, with 29 pupils participating in the training. Further sessions are scheduled for Year 6 (week beginning 18th May 2026), alongside sessions for Year 5 on 16th March. Aim: The programme provided Year 6 pupils with the opportunity to build on the cycling skills introduced in Year 5, while promoting safe and independent travel. The training is especially valuable in supporting pupils as they prepare for the transition to secondary school. A total of 29 pupils took part. Fourteen achieved Level 2, and others achieved Level 1. Additional progression sessions took place in May 2026.
Several members of staff too cycle into school and use our additional staff bike shelter installed in the staff car park. All members of staff are encouraged to make use of the cycle to work scheme.
We ended the year by submitting all our travel stories to the local authority and applied for accreditation for GOLD in June 2026.