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School travel
The school journey is a perfect opportunity for children to learn about their local area, develop wider social networks and gain independence. As well as contributing towards the recommended hour of physical activity that children need daily, teachers find that pupils who walk and cycle arrive at school more relaxed, alert and ready to start the day than those who travel by car.
The average primary school journey is just 1.5 miles, and with one in five cars on the road during the morning peak being on the school run, encouraging children to walk, cycle and scoot reduces congestion and pollution around the school gates.
How can we encourage pupils to walk and cycle?
Projects to increase active school travel might include cyclist and pedestrian road safety training, walking buses and cycle trains, incentives and promotional activities, curriculum work, highway improvements and the provision of facilities such as cycle parking and waiting shelters.
To be effective, school travel initiatives must take a whole-school approach, involving pupils, parents, staff and the wider community. Active school travel should be integrated into the curriculum so it becomes part of the school's ethos.
Our Top tips for schools (pdf) sheet is full of inspiring ideas for increasing walking and cycling to school.
Getting started
A child-centred School Travel Plan (pdf) showing how the school intends to make travel to and from their site safer and more sustainable for pupils, parents and staff is a good starting point. The most successful School Travel Plans address health, education and social issues as well as travel and are monitored and reviewed frequently.
How Sustrans can help
Sustrans has been at the forefront of active travel to school for many years, having pioneered the concept of safe routes to schools in the UK. More recently Sustrans' highly successful Bike It project has worked directly with schools to give young people the information, skills and confidence to walk and cycle. Sustrans' School Travel team offer a wealth of experience, information and resources to help increase levels of walking and cycling to school.
Find out how Sustrans can help to increase walking and cycling in your school.
