What is a school travel plan?
A School Travel Plan is a document which sets out how a school will promote safer, active and sustainable travel to school, with the main emphasis being on reducing the number of children being driven to and from school which could help:
- reduce the number of car journeys to your school
- establish positive active journeys to school
- improve both mental and physical health through physical activity
- promote independence and improve safety awareness
- reduce the environmental impact of the journey to school
The travel plan helps schools to gather information on travel-related issues which may affect pupils and parents on the journey to and from school. More children travel to school by car now than ever before and for these children, this means:
- less exercise
- less understanding of their local environment
- less experience of making journeys on their own
Developing or updating the school travel plan could help to change this for the better.
Schools are then able to gather the information and evidence required to make decisions and prioritise the measures and/or initiatives to be implemented in order to help improve the travel issues faced by the school.
What is included, who is involved and what help is there?
A range of travel options and ideas can be put into a travel plan, including:
- walking initiatives
- park & stride
- Bikeability - cycle training
- cycling/scooting facilities - shelters and lockers
- car sharing
- school buses
- parking initiatives
Who needs to be involved in developing/updating a school travel plan and ensuring that it is effective?
The whole school should be involved. Children, staff, parents, governors and the wider community can all contribute. It is important to get support for the idea.
The head teacher and the governors must fully support the project for it to be successful. We can suggest other people and organisations who could be involved, including our Road Safety teams, Eco-schools and the Healthy Schools.
How do I get help to develop or update a school travel plan?
KCC have developed an online travel plan template for your use, where you will find guidance for developing and updating your travel plan.
Can the school travel plan link to the curriculum?
Involving pupils in developing the travel plan gives them a great learning opportunity and will help make it a success. Developing the plan can fit neatly into the national curriculum at Key Stages 1, 2, 3 and 4 and can be included in Maths, Geography, Science and Citizenship.
