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Walking is a top priority for this winning school champion

Cheryl Van Cooten from Discovery Primary School in Greenwich was the very deserving winner of the School Champion prize at this year's Top Schools Awards. She shares with us her top tips for becoming an accredited school.

-Walk the walk

Cheryl doesn't just talk the talk when it comes to active travel. She and her daughter, a pupil at Discovery, walk to school every day. This helps inspire the other children to do the same.

-Map out your year

From Air Quality Day to Walk to School Week, start the academic year by filling the calendar with important events. This means not only can you can prepare resources for them in plenty of time, but you will know in advance how full your Story wheel will be!

-Attend borough events

If you’re invited to a borough event – go! They’re a great opportunity to network with other schools, share ideas, and be inspired.

-Build a bank of resources

Event themes might change each year, but the fundamentals stay the same. Whether it’s slides, games, letters or anything else, keeping a bank of resources to makes travel activities and events much easier to manage.

-Save the evidence

A good accreditation application needs good evidence. Keep a camera on had to capture activities, save slides and newsletters, and set aside time each term to upload them. You’ll find much more manageable this way than leaving it until the deadline.