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Step counting week

Suitable for all schools. Supports the Maths, PE and PSHE and Citizenship National Curriculum.

Overview

Education phase

Early years Key stage 2 Key stage 3 Key stage 4 Key stage 5 Key stage 1

Categories of activity

Travel

Types of activity

Walking

How it helps

  • Supports the Maths, PE and PSHE and Citizenship
  • Promotes exercise as part of the daily routine

About the activity

Organise a step counting week in your school to raise your pupils' awareness of how much exercise they're getting each day.

Ask your pupils to count how many steps they take on their way to school and record the results on a wall chart each day. At the end of the week the pupil who’s taken the most steps receives a prize or certificate. You could do this across several classes competing for the most steps.

Throughout the week discuss with your class ways they can increase the number of steps they take. For example, they could get off the bus a stop or two early or ask their parents to drop them off a five or ten minute walk from school instead of at the gate (see the Park and stride activity card for ideas on how to set this up).

For younger pupils or those with SEND needs, you could adapt this activity to be based within the school grounds and map the distance wheeled or walked around the school each day.

Speak to your borough officer to see if any funding is available to purchase pedometers for your pupils or see the Other sources of funding activity card for ideas.

What you’ll need

  • Something for counting steps. This could be a mobile phone, a step counter or pupils can count their steps themselves!
  • A wall chart to record pupils’ steps each day
  • Prizes or certificates for the winner

Activity steps

Step 1

Plan - With your school travel working group to plan the week and decide how you will ask pupils to count and record their steps

Step 2

Promote the week. Let pupils and parents/carers know about the week in the newsletter, on the website, in assemblies and on posters

Step 3

Step up to the challenge! Encourage students to count steps and record on the planner each morning and remind them to note interesting spots on route such as landmarks, transport, wildlife

Step 4

Steps win prizes. At the end of the week calculate who has taken the most steps and celebrate their achievement. Reward bonus prizes to those who recorded the most interesting sight on their journey!

Step 5

Check for success. Ask your pupils how they found the activity. What key messages did they take away/made them think and what did they find useful/enjoy?

Step 6

Tell your story. Upload evidence in "my activities".