Mode Shift Month Awards 2025 – Shortlisted School: William Gilbert Endowed C of E Primary School and Nursery

The Mode Shift Month Awards recognise organisations that have excelled in raising awareness of sustainable transport options and delivering activities during Mode Shift Month and World Car Free Day. The shortlisted organisations are invited to the National STARS Summit in March 2026 and celebrated as an example of best practice across the industry.

Here, we are proud to showcase our finalists and their inspiring case studies, highlighting how creative initiatives can make a tangible difference in communities across the UK.

Best Mode Shift Month Campaign – School finalists

William Gilbert Endowed C of E Primary School and Nursery is a standout Mode Shift Month finalist, demonstrating how long-term commitment, creativity and whole-community engagement can deliver truly transformational change. The school was previously recognised as Best ModeShift TravelWise Week Schools Campaign 2024.

Building on this momentum, the school reached a major milestone in spring 2025, proudly launching Derbyshire’s very first School Street following months of enthusiasm, campaigning and collaboration with families, the local authority, councillors and local businesses.

Mode Shift Month 2025 became a celebration of this journey – reinforcing active travel as the norm, empowering pupils as leaders, and embedding travel habits that extend well beyond the school gates.

Target Audience

Walking, cycling, scooting and park and stride were promoted to all pupils and their families, ensuring inclusive participation regardless of distance or individual circumstances.

Activities and Engagement

Throughout September, the school delivered a rich and engaging programme of initiatives, including:

Cycle September Challenge: Families joined the William Gilbert Wheelers on a virtual journey from Duffield to Paris using the Love to Ride app, collectively cycling 435 miles. The achievement was celebrated with an Active Travel Breakfast for all pupils, funded by the PTA.
Artist of the Month – Active Travel Edition: Inspired by Lucy Pittaway’s Treasured Times, pupils created artwork depicting their favourite places to cycle. All entries were showcased in the school art gallery.
Weekly Lucky Lock: A surprise reward scheme encouraging consistent daily active travel rather than one-off participation.
Parking Pledge: Families signed an updated parking pledge via QR code, with the chance to win Gulliver’s Kingdom tickets, reinforcing safer parking behaviours.
Bikeability (Year 6): Equipping pupils with essential road safety skills for independent cycling.Scooter Smart Workshops: Sessions for both pupils and parents, including a scooter assembly where adults demonstrated safe scooting. Adult scooters were made available to loan to families.
World Car Free Day: Families embraced walking, cycling, scooting, public transport and park and stride, supported by an Autumn Travel Trail engaging all five senses.
Junior Travel Ambassadors: A whole-school assembly led to six new JTAs being elected, forming a passionate team of eight pupil leaders.
Ongoing newsletter updates, ensuring families were informed about park and stride options, School Street arrangements, and how to get involved.
All activities were promoted through the school website and social media channels.

Location

Activities took place at the school and within the local community. Park and stride venues were secured at a local golf club and village restaurant, with Bikeability sessions delivered on quiet local roads.

Participation and impact

240 pupils took part, that’s 100% of the school – alongside their families.
Activity participation included:

Scooter Smart: 186 pupils and 20 adults
Bikeability: 35 pupils
Love to Ride: 16 families

Measured behaviour change:

Car use reduced from 37.19% (2022/23) to 2.93% (2025/26)
Active travel increased from 62.19% to 82.85%

Significant shift towards park and stride for families travelling from outside the village.

Mode Shift Month played a key role in embedding these changes, reinforcing positive habits and sustaining long-term impact.

Mobility for Everyone

Inclusivity was central to delivery. Recognising that not all families can walk, cycle or scoot the full journey, two park and stride venues ensured everyone could participate.

The School Street operates under an experimental traffic order, permitting access for blue badge holders. To address community concerns, the school introduced the parking pledge and published a clear, accessible travel map.

The Mode Shift Month travel trail was adapted to include sounds, smells, textures and sights, making it accessible to pupils with different needs. Scooter loans and parent participation in Scooter Smart sessions helped address concerns about pavement space and safety.

Helen Britten, Headteacher said:

‘Mode Shift Month has been a powerful way to bring our whole community together and celebrate how far we’ve come. It empowers our pupils, supports our families, and reinforces the values that matter most to us – health, wellbeing, safety and care for our environment. Launching Derbyshire’s first School Street has been a proud moment, and Mode Shift Month continues to help us embed active travel as part of everyday life at William Gilbert.’