A five-day walking challenge aimed at primary school pupils, which started on Monday, will help children put their best foot forward to reaching their recommended 60 minutes minimum of physical activity per day before even reaching the school gates.

Year 3 pupils at St John Fisher Primary School in St Albans celebrated the launch of the national initiative by recording their journeys to school on an online tracker,

Being active and getting some exercise in the morning before arriving at school can help set kids up for a positive day; improving focus and concentration and instilling a sense of physical and mental wellbeing.

Mrs Aquino, the lead for Citizenship at St John Fisher School, said: “We have really noticed how engaged the children are in trying to achieve the weekly challenge of an active journey every week and receive the much-desired monthly badge”

The initiative is also helping reduce school traffic by encouraging parents that do need to drive to park further away from the school, and to walk the last part so the children are active before school starts.