Register & manage your Walking School Bus merit scheme WSB merit scheme

Find out how to join the Walking School Bus merit scheme or carry out administrative tasks for managing the merit scheme for your Walking School Bus.

• Register for the merit scheme.
• Managing your Walking School Bus merit scheme.
• Order more key tags or caribiners.

Register for the merit scheme

1. Complete the online registration form: Register for the Walking School Bus merit scheme
2. Once you have registered your school, you will be sent a starter pack within the month.

Merit scheme starter pack

A starter pack is sent to each Walking School Bus which includes:

• An information brochure.
• Walking School Bus tickets - these will need to be kept by each Parent Coordinator as evidence of the child's achievement.
• Additional Walking School Bus bag tags on carabiners (for children who may not already have one).
• Initial sets of 6 different merit key tags (which can attach to the Walking School Bus carabiners and onto school bags).
• A sample recording sheet to keep track of each child's achievements and the merit key tags they have been issued with.
• A criteria card for the children so they know how to achieve each merit key tag.

Managing your merit scheme

Steps for launching the merit scheme

1. We recommend launching the merit scheme at school assembly or at a Walking School Bus milo and muffin morning.
2. Explain the scheme to the Walking School Bus children.
3. Issue them with their criteria cards and new Walking School Bus tickets.

Note: All children must start counting walks on new tickets from the date you introduce the scheme at your school.

Find out the benefits of the Walking School Bus merit scheme.

Recording and issuing merit key tags

• The merit scheme uses the Walking School Bus tickets to record 25 walks at a time.
• Use your recording sheet to mark off as each child completes another ticket. This way you can keep track of how many walks they have completed toward each milestone key tag.
• Children can also keep a record their merit key tags on this criteria card (PDF 368KB).
• Issue the merit key tags to a child once they have achieved the merit criteria eg a child has walked 50 times on the Walking School Bus, so they receive the first merit '50 walks'.
• Each merit level has a corresponding key tag.

It is recommended that merit key tags are awarded at school assembly. By doing this the school is supporting your Walking School Bus and it will showcase the benefits of the Walking School Bus to new students.

Your AT Community Transport Coordinator will be available to assist with any questions that you may have.

Ordering additional key tags and carabiners

If you need replacement key tags, extras for new children, or another carabiner for someone who has a full one.

1. Order these in small packs of 5 key tags by filling in the online order form: Order new key tags or carabiners
2. Distribution will occur at the end of each month for orders placed during that month.

Ideas to earn the leadership merit key tag

Leadership tasks could include:

• Buddying new children on the Walking School Bus.
• Clicking and marking tickets.
• Walking at the front and checking for hazards.
• Being a ‘Conductor’ at the rear of the bus to keep everyone in a group
• Marking off the Merit Scheme recording sheet when children complete tickets
• Organising milo and muffin mornings for the Walking School Bus

Find out about the student leadership programme.

You may also be interested in:

• Walking School Bus safety.
• Walking School Bus homepage.
• Starting the student leadership programme.