Pupils at Cholsey Primary School, Oxfordshire welcomed Olly Glover MP and Nick Butler, Chief Executive Officer at Modeshift, for a special Active Travel Inspector (ATI) visit.

The visit gave pupils the opportunity to lead a full ATI inspection around the local area. Working alongside their guests, the young inspectors assessed walking, wheeling and cycling routes, identifying what works well and where improvements could be made.

Cholsey Primary Pupils Put Active Travel Under the Spotlight

During the inspection, pupils highlighted several areas that could make active travel safer and more accessible. These included cycle paths, dropped kerbs and tactile paving. Olly Glover MP shared his views on the improvements and discussed how small changes can

Cholsey Primary School Headteacher, Heidi McSweeney said:

‘Taking part in an Active Travel Inspection gave the children such an insight into their local area and what parts are, or are not, suitable for pedestrians and cyclists. They were surprised at how much they could identify using their knowledge from the session at school before they departed and the sheets that prompted them to look for specific areas. They were able to feed back their findings and their wish list to the rest of the school and are looking forward to repeating the experience later in the year to review the outcomes.’

Following the inspection, Olly joined pupils for a question-and-answer session. The Active Travel Inspectors asked a range of questions about his role as a Member of Parliament, including what an MP does and why he enjoys cycling.

The session gave pupils a valuable opportunity to learn more about decision-making in their community while sharing their own experiences of travelling to school.

Nick Butler, Chief Executive Officer at Modeshift, said:

‘It was fantastic to see the Active Travel Inspectors leading the discussion and confidently sharing their views with Olly Glover MP. Their observations were thoughtful, practical and focused on making journeys safer and more accessible for everyone. Programmes like Active Travel Inspectors give young people a voice in shaping their local environment and help decision-makers understand the changes that matter most to their communities.’

The visit forms part of Cholsey Primary School’s ongoing commitment to promoting active travel and giving pupils opportunities to influence positive change in their local area. Through the Active Travel Inspectors programme, pupils develop the skills and confidence to assess their surroundings and advocate for improvements that benefit the whole community.