Frequently Asked Questions

Registration / Login

• How do I register my school?

  Simply fill in your school details on the Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel registration page.

• What is a DfE / SEED / Inst Ref number? (You will need this to register)

  England and Wales Schools have a seven-digit DfE number. It is made up of the school’s LA number (three digits) followed by its establishment number (four digits). Look these up, or ask your school office.

  Scotland Schools have a seven-digit SEED number. Look yours up, or ask your school office.

  Northern Ireland Schools have a seven-digit Inst Ref No. Look yours up, or ask your school office.

  If you do not have a DfE/SEED/Inst Ref number because you are a nursery, new school or academy please email us at bigwalkandwheel@sustrans.org.uk

• I am a parent/school travel coordinator. Can I register my schools for them?

  You can offer to help your schools register, but you’ll need to get a school staff member to sign up as they will need to log in and record their results on a daily basis.

• How do I change/reset my password, or have it sent to me if I forget it?

  When you login there is an option to reset your password.

• I am having trouble logging in. What do I do?

  Please make sure you are using the email address you registered your school with and the password you created at registration.

  Sometimes there are problems with the internet connection so it is worth testing a few times. If you are still having trouble please email bigwalkandwheel@sustrans.org.uk for help.

• Can individual teachers log in at the same time?

  Yes, individual teachers can log in at the same time using the same log in. There is only one log in per school so this will need to be shared amongst anyone wanting access to your schools Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel account.
  

• How do I set up individual classes if I am registering as a school?

  1. To set up classes firstly log in to your account.
  2. On your school’s homepage select the ‘manage your school’s classes’ button.
  3. Enter the class name and select ‘add this class’.
  4. Repeat for the number of classes you wish to add.

  Instead of adding classes you can add year groups or ‘whole school.’

Participation

• Who can take part in the Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel 2023?

  ALL schools in the UK can take part in the Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel (provided they have a DfE, SEED or Inst. Ref no. – what are these?).

• What counts in the Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel challenge?

  Walking journeys, journeys made by wheelchair, scooter/skate journeys and cycling journeys to school all count in the Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel challenge. A school/year group/class may log one active journey per pupil per day of the challenge. This should relate to the journey made to school each day.

  For those that park and walk/wheel, their journey to school can be logged as an active journey to school in the challenge if the active travel part of the journey last a minimum of 10 minutes. So, the part that has been made by foot, using a wheelchair, scooter or cycle.

• Why is there no longer the option to take part in Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel by doing other active journeys or physical activities?

  In response to the Covid-19 pandemic we introduced other ways of taking part in Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel to accommodate for those who were learning remotely or could not take an active journey to school.

  In response to feedback from schools, this year we have decided to simplify the challenge and just focus on promoting active journeys to school. Therefore, only walking, wheeling, scooting or cycling to school count in Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel.

  We have created lots of resources, including lesson plans, which can be used in schools to ensure everyone can feel involved during Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel.

  Additionally, we are focusing on helping schools and families overcome the barriers that prevent pupils taking active journeys to school. See our inclusivity guide for more information.
  

• What are the categories?

  There are three categories in the 2023 challenge:

  • small primary school (up to 250 pupils)

  • large primary school (250+ pupils)

  • secondary schools.

  The top five schools on the leader boards for each of these categories will receive an exclusive framed Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel 2023 certificate.

• What if I enter as a class but later the whole school want to enter?

  You can change your settings right up until the start date of the challenge. If your whole school wish to take part, you can change your settings and enter as a school by clicking on ‘my settings’ on your school homepage.

• We are a Special Educational Needs (SEN), Additional Support Needs (ASN), Additional Learning Needs (ALN) school. Can we take part?

  Yes, SEN, ASN and ALN schools can compete too. If your pupils are able to walk, use a wheelchair, scoot or cycle to school then you log these active journeys on the Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel website based on the mode of transport used e.g. ‘Child journeys (cycle).'

• We’re a boarding school, can we take part?

  Boarding schools can participate in the Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel challenge.

  To participate, non-boarders can travel to school by walking, using a wheelchair, scooting and cycling. If boarders walk, wheel, scoot or cycle more than 10 minutes from their boarding house to their lessons they can also log a journey.

• Is it possible to just take part on certain days of the challenge?

  Schools can take part for just five days of the challenge or are able to record journeys on all 10 days. The best five days is chosen for your final score, however, the more days you enter, the more potential there is to record higher participation rates and the more chances you have to win in our daily prize draw.

• How can I see which schools in my area are taking part?

  There is a list of schools that have registered on the website which you can search alphabetically, by school name or by Local Authority. Or you can view the map of schools taking part.

• How do schools record their walking, using a wheelchair, scooting and cycling journeys once the challenge starts?

  Ensure you download class record sheets for all your classes from the resources page. Teachers record their class journeys and activities on these sheets.

  Schools then log in to their school home page on the Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel website each day and enter the number of walking, wheelchair, scooter or cycling journeys to school.

  The logging of journeys can be done by a school champion who collects all the classes/year groups record sheets, or by individual teachers.

• How can I log or edit journeys?

  1. Log onto your Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel account.
  2. On the school homepage select the ‘log your journey’ button.
  3. Enter your class/schools’ active journeys for that day.

  Please note: A value must be entered in each cell to save the journeys. If you have no journeys for one mode of active travel for example scooting, enter zero into the cell. To edit the results that have been entered that day click on the day number e.g. one and it will allow the journeys to be edited. Once scores have been entered and the 12-noon deadline has passed the following day, results cannot be changed.

• What is the latest I can log journeys?

  Active journeys can be added up to midday on Monday 3 April 2023. However, we encourage you to log all active journeys by 12 noon the following day during the challenge to appear on the daily leader boards and be entered into the daily prize draw.

  Active journeys can only be added after the daily 12 noon deadline if no other journeys have been added for that class on the day you wish to enter data for. For example, if class 4B has entered cycling and scooting journeys for Monday, they will be unable to add their walking/wheelchair journeys after the 12 noon deadline on the following day.

• What happens if I do not register my school's journeys before the 12 noon deadline each day?

  To appear on the daily leader boards and to be entered into the daily prize draw, schools and classes must log their journeys/activities by 12 noon on the next school day.

  However, schools have until midday on Monday 3 April 2023 to enter their data, should they find it difficult to log their journeys daily. If all journeys are entered on 3 April (rather than daily) they will only count towards your overall race position and not your daily position and you will not be eligible for the daily prize draws.

• How does the daily prize draw work?

  To be entered into the prize draw you must log your journeys on the Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel website by 12 noon on the following school day.

  For example, to be entered into the prize draw on Day 1 (Monday 20 March) all journeys must be logged by 12 noon on Day 2 (Tuesday 21 March).

  A daily prize winner will be selected each day at random from all schools/classes who have recorded at least 15% of their pupils walking, wheeling, scooting and cycling to school.

• Our School cannot take part in the Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel as there are no safe routes for students to travel actively to school due to busy roads/ no footpaths etc- what can we do?

  We are aware that unfortunately not every school can log active travel journeys due to the lack of safe routes around their school. Even so we still encourage you get involved in Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel by using the lesson plans and resources to learn about active travel.

  We also recommend that your school pledge to take part in the Sustrans Big Street Survey. This is a free curriculum resource that enables pupils to investigate the area around their school and create a manifesto on how to make their streets safer and greener. These manifestos can then be used to lobby decision-makers and elected representatives at national and local level to make these changes happen.

Resources

• Will there be resources available?

  Yes, we are currently developing these. These can be found here.
  

Results

• Is Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel challenge fair for small / large schools?

  Yes, the challenge is fair for all sizes of school. Scores are calculated as the percentage of your school role.

• How are the results worked out for each school each day?

  The greater the number of pupils walking, wheeling, scooting or cycling to school, each day, the better your result.

  PLEASE NOTE: The school or class roll number must be entered correctly, please check yours is correct before the challenge starts by visiting your school settings.

• How can I check how my school is doing?

  During the challenge, school rankings will be publicly available daily on the website. As schools can enter results daily or at the end of the challenge, a more accurate picture of their progress can be obtained at the end of the challenge.

• What happens if there’s a tie?

  In the event of a tie, the schools at the top of the leader board will be declared joint winners.

• How do I know if my school has won a daily prize?

  All prize-winning schools will be emailed by Sustrans.

• How will I know if my school has won the challenge?

  The results will be confirmed and published at the end of the challenge on the website. This will be week commencing 24 April, following the school Easter holiday.

  Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel framed certificates are awarded to those in the top five positions of the national leader boards.

  Regardless of whether you won or not, every school and class are able to print their own Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel certificate, downloadable from the resources page on the Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel website.

Covid-19