Multiple gold medallist Paralympian Dame Sarah Storey and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham teamed up to boost their ‘school streets’ scheme with a walk to school in Trafford.

The initiative kicks in when a road outside a school is closed to all traffic – apart from emergency and service vehicles during drop-off and pick-up times – between 8.15am and 9am and 3pm to 3.45pm.

Dame Sarah and Mr Burnham walked with a local family from their home in a neighbouring street to one of the biggest primary schools in country with 700 pupils, Seymour Park Community School on Northumberland Road in Old Trafford.

The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) led by Mr Burnham has written to schools in the city region to ask for ‘expressions of interest’ in launching their own school streets scheme.

Seymour Park was one of the 30 piloted across Greater Manchester before Andy Burnham pledged to roll out 100 within this mayoral term. 

Speaking after arriving at the school, Mr Burnham said: “The kids have had a bit of exercise on the way to school. Surely that’s got to be better when it comes to learning and concentrating in the classroom.

“I think sometimes the school run can be stressful and it probably isn’t the best start to the school day when there’s panic outside the school.

“It’s a simple idea, but I think it has many benefits. We’ve written to primary schools to ask for expressions of interest. It’s not about imposing them on communities. It’s about saying where there’s a wish of the school and the community around it to go in this direction we’re going to come in and provide the infrastructure to support that.

“It’s a sort of bottom-up initiative rather than imposing it. I’ve walked with a family to school and we’ve had a great time – a happy start to the day. Who wouldn’t want every child in Greater Manchester to have the chance to get a bit of exercise on their way to school in an ideal world?”

Dame Sarah, who is now the Active Travel Commissioner for Greater Manchester, said: “It’s great to see so many people walking, wheeling, scooting, cycling to school. 

“There’s a number of benefits. Obviously safety is a huge one – that means road danger reduction. Traditionally we talk about road safety and the bells and whistles on vehicles, but what we need to do is prevent collisions from happening in the first place and removing the danger is the best way of doing that.”

She added: “It means that the children are having an active start to the day. The smiles on their faces say it all about the impact on their mental wellbeing. We know that physical health and mental wellbeing are intrinsically linked and that’s on display this morning.”

The school streets road closure takes place at Seymour Park takes place on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays and is hugely dependent on volunteers, most of whom are parents.

Seymour Park headteacher Tom Johnson said: “When we first started the scheme we had a young person who walked out of school and turned to me and said ‘I can’t taste the cars’. That for me stands out as the most powerful thing.

“During the school run here yesterday, it was bonkers on Northumberland Road. The longer-term risks are on the health and lower life expectancy in this area that is currently at 55, which is shocking.”

And the pupils who form Seymour Park’s ‘rights rangers’ also had their say.

Zahra, 10, said: “I think this is a really healthy street today. There’s a lot more fun in coming to school on foot and it takes the pollution away.”

Frances, aged 10, said: “It’s a wonderful way to get more exercise and for friends to feel more comfortable coming to school together.”

Amber, aged 10 said: “School streets is really good. Everyone feels much safer when the road is closed.”

Juwayriyanah, eight, said: “I think it’s really good because it gives children confidence to come to school on foot. It’s safer and the air is much fresher.”