Former BBC weather presenter Helen Young visited Nonsuch High School for Girls in Cheam to promote cycling and sustainable travel to pupils.

She gave a talk on climate change and opened secure cycle parking at the school. With room for 100 bikes, the cycle parking is the second largest school facility funded by Transport for London.

Thanks to the growth of school travel planning in the borough, a total of 52 schools are expected to have similar facilities installed by March 2009.

To encourage cycling, incentives such as a bikers’ breakfast and cycle training are offered to students.

The school’s student green team is currently developing an eco-code that includes sustainable travel.

The code is likely to be completed in the coming year.

Headteacher Genefer Espejo said: “It’s really good to see so many pupils cycling to school.

“With the arrival of our new cycle sheds we look forward to even more using their bicycles.

“Nonsuch is proud to make a very practical contribution to lowering pollution and to highlighting environmental issues.”

Councillor Colin Hall said ‘It’s encouraging to see how many young people in the borough are travelling in healthier, greener, more sustainable ways. Individual schools in Sutton have already seen steady increases of cycling – from zero to eight per cent in one case.

“This is a great example of the difference Smarter Travel Sutton can make. Over the next year it will continue to focus on working with schools to increase the number of pupils and staff using their bikes to get to and from school.”