At Mandeville Primary School, we believe that every child has a role to play in caring for themselves, their community and the wider environment. Through a wide range of initiatives, partnerships and enrichment opportunities, we encourage our pupils to become active, responsible and environmentally aware citizens.

Whether promoting sustainable travel, developing road safety awareness, supporting local community projects or encouraging children to make positive choices for the future, these experiences help our pupils develop confidence, responsibility and an understanding of how their actions can make a difference.

We are proud of our long-standing commitment to this work, which has been recognised through a number of local, regional and national awards. Explore below to discover how we work together to promote healthy lifestyles, sustainability and community involvement

Travel

For a number of years, we have belonged to the Modeshift STARS scheme.

This programme allows schools to evaluate current travel behaviour, road infrastructure and key issues. It helps them to set targets for more sustainable, safer and more active travel. For example:

• improve road safety around school
• improve physical and mental health of pupils through more active travel
• reduce car use, congestion and poor driver/parking behaviour
• increase sustainable travel
• improve air quality

Through the scheme, schools deliver Travel and Support Initiatives as they work towards their targets, and a Green, Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum accreditation.

Due to the ongoing work in this area, Mandeville Primary has planned and delivered highly effective School Travel Plans and achieved the following successes:

• Gold School Travel Plan status in March 2013, following ongoing commitment to encouraging pupils to take healthier, safer and more environmentally friendly journeys.
• Gold ‘Modeshift STARS (Sustainable Travel Accreditation and Recognition for Schools)’ in April 2016.
• The ‘Excellence In Hertfordshire Public Health Award’ in June 2018, as a result of having led the ‘Sawbridgeworth Travel Challenge’ initiative, developing active and safer travel to school.
• ‘East Of England Modeshift STARS Regional Award Winner’ for its work alongside other Sawbridgeworth area schools in promoting sustainable journeys in 2019.
• ‘National Modeshift STARS Primary School Of The Year’ in 2019.
• Platinum ‘Modeshift STARS (Sustainable Travel Accreditation and Recognition for Schools)’ in September 2022.

We are extremely proud of the positive contribution that our pupils, families and staff make in promoting sustainable travel and supporting our local community.