Ninestiles, an academy, celebrates ‘Outstanding’ Award for Sustainable Travel
Learners Lead the Way to Greener Journeys at Ninestiles
Ninestiles, an Academy, part of the Summit Learning Trust,has been awarded an ‘Outstanding’ certificate of accreditation by Modeshift for their work on sustainable school travel.
The Modeshift scheme is supported by the Department for Transport and the certificate is in recognition of the school’s efforts to increase levels of walking, cycling and other forms of green travel.
Ninestiles, an Academy is one of only a handful of schools in the West Midlands to receive the ‘Outstanding’ level of accreditation and their learners have been leading the way in promoting greener, safer, and healthier travel since joining the Modeshift Active Travel Ambassador programme back in 2022.
From pitching ideas to industry experts and winning funding to launching walking and cycling competitions, their campaigns have inspired learners, staff members, and families to rethink how they travel. The school is now working on further initiatives, ranging from road safety videos and quizzes to step-counting challenges and sustainable travel weeks supported by the Mayor of Solihull. While bike-related rewards have been given to those who switched to cycling as their main mode of travel.
The school also launched a creative “How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint” competition, challenging learners to design nine practical ideas, tying into the Ninestiles name, on how everyone can make a difference. These activities not only motivated learners to adopt greener habits but also highlighted simple, achievable ways the whole community can work together to cut carbon and reduce congestion.
Ninestiles, an Academy has also been nominated for the prestigious 2025 National STARS School Travel Awards. This national recognition follows the school’s success in achieving Modeshift STARS accreditation for its outstanding efforts to encourage sustainable travel options on the journey to school. Out of hundreds of schools across the country, only 160 have been shortlisted for this honour, and Ninestiles is among them. As part of the celebrations, the school has been invited to join the Modeshift STARS Regional Awards 2025 through an engaging online event on Tuesday 14th October, where learners and staff members will have the chance to showcase their achievements and take part in the exciting awards ceremony.
Sustainability ambassadors at Ninestiles are driving long-lasting change by encouraging car-sharing, public transport use, park and stride, and walking. Their efforts are helping to build safer, more inclusive communities. With strong partnerships, including new links to the Let’s Go Zero campaign, Ninestiles, an Acdemy is proud to be setting the benchmark for sustainable travel.
Alex Hughes, Principal at Ninestiles, an Academy said:
"We are incredibly proud to receive this ‘Outstanding’ accreditation from Modeshift. It is a reflection of the passion, creativity, and commitment our learners have shown in driving forward sustainable travel at Ninestiles. From walking and cycling challenges to innovative campaigns, our learners are leading by example, showing that small changes to the way we travel can make a big difference to our health, our community, and the environment."
