Sadiq Khan has given £1 million to the most-polluted schools in London to help protect children from toxic air.

The funding has been awarded to 50 schools which were identified as being the most polluted schools in the capital.

A series of recommendations have been made to these schools following air-quality audits of their premises.

The audits looked at factors such as how students travel to school as well as reviewing local walking routes to the school including traffic crossings.

Recommendations from the audit included looking at closing roads around schools or moving playgrounds and school entrances; targeting indoor pollution and promoting cycling and walking to pupils.

Each of the schools will receive a £10,000 grant to apply for green infrastructure funding.

£500,000 will deliver non-transport interventions at the schools and £300,000 will be used to deliver green infrastructure programmes.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m doing everything in my power to protect children in London from air pollution. Our air quality audits set out to reduce pollution in and around school premises.

“Air pollution is a national health crisis that is putting the health of children at risk. As Mayor, I’ve moved fast in London to implement the most ambitious plans to tackle air pollution of any major city in the world. This includes cleaning up our bus and taxi fleets, bringing forward the introduction of the world’s first Ultra-Low Emission Zone and introducing the Toxicity Charge – T-Charge – for the oldest polluting vehicles in central London.

Schools will be funded in 23 boroughs including Barnet, Enfield, Haringey and Waltham Forest.