Top schools across the county have received Green Travel Mark Awards for their dedication to the health and wellbeing of their pupils and communities.

The schools are active participants of eco-friendly travel schemes such as Active Wow (Walk on Wednesday) organised by the KM Charity Team as part of the KM Walk to School campaign.

The campaign encourages families to swap the car for walking, cycling, or using ‘park and stride’ for the school run - giving pupils a healthy start to the day, reducing traffic jams and vehicle-related air pollution, and improving safety at the school gate.

Winning schools were invited to a certificate presentation staged at the Maiden’s Tower of Leeds Castle in Maidstone. They were congratulated by Walk to School mascot Wowzer and KM Walk to School supporters Maidstone Borough Council, Three R’s Teacher Recruitment, Ashford Borough Council, Crown Charitable Foundation, Eurostar, Golding Homes, Kent County Council, Medway Council, Volker Highways, and Countrystyle Recycling.

“It’s very important to us to support the Walk to School campaign,” said Councillor Derek Mortimer from Maidstone Borough Council. “It exercises children, it can quite often be safer to take other routes than the main roads, and I’d like to see more and more children taking it up with their parents.”

Green Travel Mark Awards can be earned at platinum, gold, silver and bronze levels with additional recognition for schools that provide a walking bus service.

To receive the platinum level award schools have to make a three-year commitment to green travel.

Simon Dolby, chief executive of the KM Charity Team, said: “Our winning schools are doing a fantastic job of promoting and delivering green travel to a high standard. They are getting pupils into healthy habits from an early age and reducing the number of cars jostling for space outside the school gate – improving safety and air quality in one stroke.”

He added: “Green travel offers benefits not only to pupils but also to schools, thanks to our award-winning resources which include self-evaluation evidence for Ofsted.”

Active Wow has rebranded as Super Wow for next academic year and Mr Dolby urged schools to register without delay.

“There’s still time for schools to have green travel in place for next academic year but they must contact us as soon as possible,” he said. “As a thank you, we will give a 20% discount to schools signing up by July 1 as well as entry into a prize draw to win 400 books for the school library.”

KM Walk to School is also backed by Whites Transport, Ashford International Hotel, Orbit, Specsavers, London Borough of Bexley, and Whitefriars.

To join Super Wow, contact Sarah Clyne at sclyne@thekmgroup.co.uk or on 0844 264 0291 or visit www.KmWalkToSchool.co.uk/Wow