Rawmarsh Thorogate J&I School accredited as a Centre of Excellence

Rawmarsh Thorogate Junior and Infant School has been accredited as a Centre of Excellence for Physical Activity by Yorkshire Sport Foundation.

The Rotherham school has earned the accreditation in the ‘Active Travel’ category, one of seven categories linked to the Creating Active Schools framework that was devised in Yorkshire during 2019.

After initially taking part in a ten-day Active Travel Challenge in 2018, the school developed an action plan to improve road safety around school and increase the amount of children travelling to and from school in an active way.

Initiatives have included a ‘Super Hero Day’ where more than 80% of pupils walked to school from a nearby park dressed as their favourite superhero character; as well as ‘Bling your Bike’ sessions, giving children the chance to decorate bikes and scooters with brightly coloured decorations so they could be seen by traffic and pedestrians.

The school has seen an increase in the number of pupils travelling to school in an active way, and a decrease in car parking around the school thanks to park and stride initiatives. The school was one of the first in the country to achieve the Platinum award from Modeshift Stars

‘’Being accredited with this award is something we are really proud of at Thorogate. It just goes to show that with the support of parents and the local community what you can achieve. It’s extremely rewarding seeing so many children come to school in an active way and seeing how much fun they’re having doing it," said Jon Bedford, Active Travel Lead at the school.

"As a school we are always striving to support our parents in being able to choose active lifestyles," added Mr Barnett, headteacher at the school.

"Being a Centre of Excellence just reflects our amazing parents - it is a real partnership approach."

“I’d like to congratulate everyone at the school on their accreditation,” said Daniel Neath, Children and Young People Officer at Yorkshire Sport Foundation.

“Over a number of years, the school has made active travel a priority, and they are having a positive impact on the pupils, their families and the wider community as a whole. The accreditation is deserved recognition for all they have done and continue to do, and we look forward to working alongside them to share their experiences with other schools for the benefit of even more young people.”