HAYDONLEIGH Primary School in Haydon Wick deserves all three of the accolades it has picked up for its travel policy.

Pioneers of good things don’t always receive the recognition they deserve, so it is always good to see them receive not just recognition but praise.

One day this school’s attitude to transport will be the norm, and so will the practical measures it takes. That is just as well for today’s children and their children, who will inherit the world current generations of adults create.

The chaos, environmental damage and physical danger of the school run is repeated all over the country twice a day.

Many parents, who want nothing more than to ensure their children are safe, believe the best way to ensure that safety is by loading them into cars.

As a result, the very air where children throng becomes laden with poisonous fumes, the risk of tragic accidents is increased and opportunities for children to exercise and socialise with one another are curtailed.

Haydonleigh’s approach is to tempt pupils and parents away from car use by encouraging cycle training and use and a walking bus. Like many a solution to a particularly nasty problem, these are simple measures which just about anybody can take part in.

It is to be hoped that more and more Haydonleigh pupils participate in the schemes as the years pass, and also that other schools where such ideas have yet to get off the ground take notice.

Walking or cycling to and from school is healthy and fun - and undoubtedly makes the world a better place for all.