CHILDREN at Woodchurch Road Primary School have been given a special lesson on road safety as part of a national campaign.

The school is one of 15 taking part in the Walk Once a Week initiative, which is led by Wirral Council and Living Streets, a national charity.

Pupils were visited by Living Streets' mascot Strider, Wirral Council Road Safety Officer Rebecca Call. Local PCSO Sarah was also on hand to promote road safety at the school, which is located on a busy main road.

The PCSO spoke to the children during an assembly, where Strider made an appearance and had a photo taken with the Junior Road Safety Officers.

Later in the week pupils went out with speed guns to encourage car users on Woodchurch Road to slow down.

Living Streets project co-ordinator Katherine Culshaw said: "The WoW campaign is not only a fantastic way to help children reach the recommended daily 60 minutes of physical activity, but it also gives us an opportunity to teach important road safety skills for now, and the future."
 

Claire Moses, a teacher at the school and its WoW champion, said: "We have already seen a rise in the number of children walking to school, which is wonderful, but it’s key that we educate children and the community about road safety to ensure that they can continue to get the benefits of walking to school in a safe and healthy way."

Councillor Harry Smith, Wirral council cabinet member for Streetscene and transport services, said: "Teaching children about road safety is crucial at this time of year, when ice and snow can make driving conditions difficult.

"Getting children to walk to school can be of great benefit to their health; getting the message across to drivers to take particular care around schools is equally important."