School Travel Plans

A school travel plan is a working document that sets out to encourage a move away from car use towards more sustainable modes of travel such as walking, cycling, public transport and car share for the journey to school.

What is involved?

• Research on pupils’ mode of travel
• Obstacles to sustainable travel
• Initiatives to encourage cycling
• Engineering measures
• Initiatives to encourage walking
• Road Safety education and training
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Publicity and promotion

What are the benefits for our school?

• Reduced congestion near the school gate
• Enhanced reputation. Good relationships with parents and community, and credit from OFSTED
• Improvement of the school environment. Schools with approved Travel Plans are eligible for a government grant to fund developments such as cycle storage, pedestrian shelters, or segregated access.
• Focus for curriculum work
• Links to National Healthy Schools Status and Eco-Schools award

What are the benefits for our pupils?

• Improved alertness. Exercise in the morning can help improve concentration throughout the day.
• Improved health and fitness
• Improved life and social skills. Children who walk to school learn to be more independent and confident.

What are the benefits for our community?

• Cleaner air
• Quieter roads. Currently 20% of cars on the roads at 8.50am are on a school run.
• Safety improvements along school routes.

Schools in the Swindon Borough Council area that have travel plans in place can submit a School Travel Challenge Bid to the Council for extra funding for capital projects that improve the safety or ease of sustainable travel for the school journey. This could include items such as cycle stands or lockers, waiting shelters for parents who have walked to school, new or improved footpaths, or pedestrian crossings.

If you would like help developing a travel plan for your school or would like further information about the Challenge Bid process please contact the School Travel Plan Coordinator on 01793 466335

Walk to School Week 2008

The following websites offer invaluable information in the campaign to encourage children to walk to school:

• Walk to School.2008 website (www.walktoschool.org.uk)
• Safe Routes to Schools website (www.saferoutestoschools.org.uk)
• Infomapper - Safer Routes to School website (www.youngtransnet.org.uk)

Walking Buses

An alternative form of school transport is the ‘walking bus’. This comprises two volunteers (dependent on numbers) who, acting as ‘driver’ and ‘conductor’, escort a line of children on their journey to and from school. They follow a set route collecting pupils at ‘bus stops’ on the way.

Since it is fuelled by leg power it promotes healthy exercise and by encouraging walking it can also reduce traffic congestion around the school gate.

With parents working a rota system to take children to school, they gain more time for themselves while allowing their children more independence.

The School and parents need to be very committed to the idea if they wish to start up a walking bus. They can do most of the work themselves under the guidance of the Road Safety Team.

For the Walking Bus to be viable there must be a sufficient number of adults to cover each journey to and from school each day for every route established.

Once started, the Bus will operate every designated day during term-time, whatever the weather.

Our suggested ratio is:

• One adult to five children (juniors)
• Two adults to five children (infants)

We recommend that there are at least two adults with every group in case of emergency situations.

All adults involved will have to cleared by the Criminal Records Bureau. They will receive a guidance pack and a visit from a member of the road safety team to explain the scheme to parents and answer any questions.

Please e-mail Margaret Tester at mtester@swindon.gov.uk.