PUPILS at a Fenland school have launched their own travel plan to encourage parents to leave their cars at home and make the journey to school safer. The youngsters from Marshland St James Primary School have spent a number of weeks working on the project

PUPILS at a Fenland school have launched their own travel plan to encourage parents to leave their cars at home and make the journey to school safer.

The youngsters from Marshland St James Primary School have spent a number of weeks working on the project which aims to keep the cars off the road by asking parents to walk, cycle or park and stride to school.

They hope to reduce the number of cars, which park on the road outside the school.

As part of the scheme the pupils have also written to Norfolk County Council asking for the speed limit along School Road, Marshland St James, to be cut from 40mph to 20mph.

A council representative is due to meet headteacher Jane Thain to discuss what can be done to make the school safer.

Children performed a special assembly to get the message home to parents and this included a rap compiled by the youngsters.

The school, which has 83 pupils, hopes parents who live within 15 minutes from the school will now walk instead of drive.

In a bid to cut the number of cars parking outside the school, the pupils have also been granted permission for parents to use the car parks at the Methodist Church, the village hall, or the playing field car park.

The school hopes to secure Government funding for the scheme and the money will be used to buy a shelter which can be used by parents who walk to school.

Children have also been given a passport, which they can have stamped every time they walk or bike to school and the pupil with the most stamps will win a prize.

Ms Thain said: "The children have worked really hard on the project, and have thoroughly enjoyed doing it.