Parents make friends at school gate

Walking may prove more sociable...

Parents regard walking their children to school as a great opportunity to socialise, a survey suggests.

More than a third of the 500 parents surveyed said they would get to school early to have time to chat to other parents and 87% said there was a friendly atmosphere at the school gate.

Many said the school gate was a better place to meet people than pubs, clubs and evening classes and four fifths said the walk to school was a good way of getting some exercise.

The research, for the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, was done to mark the start of Walk to School Week.

Just under half of the respondents (47%) said they dropped in for a coffee or socialised in the evenings with parents they had met at the school gate and 61% arranged childcare with each other.

Fitting in a social life

Walk to School Week co-ordinator Lilian Goldberg said: "With increasing time pressures on those looking after children, it can often be difficult to fit socialising into a busy schedule.

"The walk to school enables parents to make new friends, meet with old ones and catch up on the news in an easy and informal way."

Local Transport Minister Sally Keeble said: "Parents have spelt out in this research the many benefits of walking to school."

"Walk to School week is a great opportunity to highlight both the health and social advantages of parents walking with their children to school."