First Step Cycle is pleased to announce the launch of Modeshift Stars Accreditation scheme in partnership with Hull City Council. Modeshift STARS is the national school’s awards scheme that has been established to recognise schools that have demonstrated excellence in supporting cycling, walking and other forms of sustainable travel.

The scheme encourages schools across the country to join in a major effort to increase levels of sustainable and active travel in order to improve the health and well-being of children and young people.

Achieving National Accreditation:
Once your school is signed up to Modeshift STARS there are three levels of accreditation that you can achieve:

BRONZE
For schools that demonstrate a commitment to promoting sustainable transport by conducting an annual survey, identifying travel issues and solutions and delivering a range of travel initiatives.
SILVER
For schools that achieve a reduction in car use on the journey to school, deliver a whole-school approach and deliver above and beyond what is normally expected of a school.
GOLD
For schools that have excelled with promoting sustainable travel and achieved a noticeable reduction in car use on the journey to school by fully embracing sustainable travel as the norm throughout the entire school community.
Every school in England (outside of London) can participate in Modeshift STARS. On completion of an application for Modeshift STARS, schools will automatically have a brand new national standard School Travel Plan.

The National STARS School Travel Awards
In the autumn term, those schools that have achieved the Gold level of STARS will be put forward for the Regional and National Awards.
Modeshift STARS is a continuous process of planning, doing and reviewing. The beauty of the scheme is that you can gain a nationally recognised award just for recording and evidence the activities that you are already delivering in your school.

Other Benefits:

• A national standard School Travel Plan – on submitting an application to Modeshift STARS, the system will automatically generate a new School Travel Plan for you which will deliver significant time and costs savings.
• Involving pupils – the scheme has various resources and toolkits that have been designed to ensure that your pupils can get involved in helping the school to achieve Modeshift STARS.
• Changing travel behaviour – STARS will provide you with the tools to reduce car use and increase the number of children walking, cycling and using public transport on the journey to and from school. This means a cleaner, safer, greener and healthier environments around your school.
• Accessing funding – delivering STARS will help you to identify infrastructure improvements that are required by your school, therefore, helping you to build a case to access the funding that is available.
• Accessing additional services – you can use the system to identify what services are available from your local authority. Many LAs now only provide services to schools that are signed up to Modeshift STARS.