Pupils at Benson CE Primary School in Oxfordshire were able to glow on the go after David Wilson Homes’ hi-vis donation for Walk to School Month in October.

The housebuilder gave the school 35 hi-vis vests for its pupils to use whilst walking to and from school, in order to ensure they are easily seen on the roads as the darker nights draw in.

Walk to School Month takes place during October each year and encourages pupils to celebrate the journey to school on foot.

Mrs Pearce, Headteacher at Benson CE Primary School, said: “We are very grateful for this kind donation and will be encouraging children to use them on the walk to and from school, as well as for off-site school events.”

Findings from the Department for Transport, following the National Travel Survey, identified that 49% of children between the ages of five and 10-years-old walked to school in 2022.

The donation from the homebuilder, based close to the school at its Chiltern Grange development, was designed to encourage pupils to stay active whilst making certain they remained visible during the darker nights and mornings.

Walking to school benefits children and their parents by increasing exercise and saving money on fuel, and it can even increase social interaction with other families who choose to walk to school and prevent stress by not driving during the rush hour.

Campbell Gregg, Managing Director at David Wilson Homes Southern, said: “Walk to School Month is a campaign that we will always actively support, as the safety of pupils walking to and from school is of utmost importance.

“We have a number of families moving into our Chiltern Grange development, so we hope the donation of hi-vis vests to Benson CE Primary School will help the pupils to continue their commute on foot now we have fewer hours of daylight.”

David Wilson Homes’ hi-vis vests have been particularly useful during Walk to School Month, whilst being certain to benefit the pupils in their future journeys to school throughout the winter months.