This page helps you to take part successfully with lots of educational and campaign outcomes. You can also download this check list so you don’t forget anything!

Step one: Make it a project and give the kids ownership!

Safety and health learning are key goals of the Government’s Child Plan and also help reach PSHE/PSE and Citizenship requirements. Your part of the march will be a real success if you use the event as a focal point for a creative summer-term project on key issues around road safety, such as speed and traffic danger, and the benefits of walking and cycling rather than using cars. Here are some ideas! 

• Discuss the route with children, including: how to make the march as safe as possible; its goal (see step two); and campaign messages they want to get across.
• Design and make placards for your march asking drivers to "slow down" and "get out and walk". (Cardboard 'sandwich boards' that hang over shoulders are great as they mean children can still hold hands!)
• Make your march colourful and noisy! Have an adult in a mascot suit leading it, or some drummers! Who else can you invite to give your march status, such as the mayor?
• Invent slogans to shout out while you march, such as "Kids say slow down!"
• Advertise the time and date of your march to local people using posters designed by the children, and get them displayed in your foyer and on community noticeboards.
• Help children to write and conduct a survey of their classmates about their fears and experiences of traffic. Have they ever been scared of speeding traffic or even hit?
• Explore why traffic is dangerous. Hold a science lesson on speed and weight and the damage it can cause. Work with your local traffic police officer to do a survey of local traffic speed using a loaned radar gun and small groups of children standing safely away from the road.
• Get children to compile an article about why they are marching that you print in your school newsletter the week before. They could also write a press release for local media. If you've done a survey, include the results.
• Get children to design, illustrate and write a leaflet asking drivers to slow down and drive less, that you distribute during your march to parents and to people who work for local businesses. Include a winning poem or story on a topic relevant to your school. Click here for examples by children.  Get a local printer to print it for free.
• Plan and rehearse a special parent assembly presented by the children about the dangers of traffic and pollution caused by cars, and hold it on the day of your march.
• Our educator home pages have more learning ideas - you will have your own too!

Step two: March with a goal and in safety

Explore and agree with the children a goal for your march, such as planting a tree in memory of people bereaved in road crashes, or handing in a letter asking for a slower speed limit to your town hall, or visiting a park to play in a safe place, or holding a photo call for the media (see below).

Brake’s top priority is to ensure all schools run a safe event. To take part in the record attempt you have to walk at least 250m out of your school gates and 250m back again (or 500m around the block!) If you can’t do this in safety, you can still take part by walking 500m around your playground! (This is also an option chosen by some schools with children with learning difficulties.) If going off-premises, you must:

• Use a route audited for safety. If you need help doing this, download our risk audit form. We advise a route with pavements wide enough for two children to walk hand in hand with adult supervision alongside and a speed limit of 30mph (or lower). We recommend your route doesn’t require you to cross unless there is a safe place (eg. Pelican Crossing) and a police officer to stop the traffic while your whole march goes across.
• Have at least one responsible adult volunteer for every eight children aged 8 or over (more if the children are younger). Pre-schoolers shouldn't take part unless they are each holding hands with an adult.
• Ensure children walk calmly, in a crocodile, holding hands in twos, and wearing high visibility vests (your local authority may be able to loan you these).

You may wish to seek further advice and help from your local traffic police officer or local authority road safety officer. They may be able to loan you more high visibility vests if you need them, or help out on the day.

Step three: Help raise funds for bereaved families 

Tell the children (in an assembly or class) they are going to fundraise for Brake by being sponsored to take part in the Giant Walking Bus, so Brake can care for families bereaved in road crashes, and so the kids can help beat a world record! Give the children their sponsorship envelopes (provided by Brake) a week before so family and friends can pop money into them. Show the children the space on the back for sponsors to write down names and postcodes so we can claim gift aid. Tell the children to bring their filled envelopes back on the day of the event. They could be reminded to do this in assembly the day before. Tell parents what you are doing in your newsletter and by text.

One great way to raise funds is to give children a non-uniform day in return for their donations. Instead of school uniform, they could come dressed in their brightest clothes to help raise awareness of people on foot. Neon leg warmers, hawaiin shirts and bright pink tutus look great on a Giant Walking Bus march!

To pay funds to Brake after the event, use the paying in slip we send you, or through this site by clicking the ‘donate’ button, or call us on 01484 559909 with a credit card. Please also post us the envelopes so we can the reclaim gift aid - which is an additional 28p for every £1 donated, so really matters!

Step four: Beat the record!

It's a bit boring, but you need to provide proof you took part, so we can forward it to the Guinness Book of Records and get the record. To help you do this, use our check list and form (pdf) and give an adult the job of making sure that they collect this evidence and  post to Brake at PO Box 548, Huddersfield, HD1 2XZ, or email it to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Thanks!

Step five: Get the media along!

Getting the media along really helps your march be a success. It emphasises to local drivers the importance of slowing down around schools, and also gives your school positive PR. So don’t be shy, get in touch with your local paper and radio station! Also ring up your local media the day before to remind them to come along. (Brake may also contact your local media, with your permission, to tell them what you are doing.) For a great picture, make sure you use the banner we send you and any placards the children have made. But remember safety comes first. Don’t compromise safety for the sake of a photo (eg. never allow the children to stop and pose in a road, even on a crossing.) If your local paper doesn’t turn up, ring them up and send them a photo anyway. It’ll probably get printed! If you need to, don’t forget to get permission from parents to allow children to be interviewed by the media, or to appear in pictures in the paper. Don't forget to feature your march in your own school newsletter, along with road safety or sustainable transport messages for parents.