Council services
School travel plans
The Travelling to School Initiative is a joint initiative between the Department for Transport and the Department for Education, which was launched in September 2003.
The aim
The main aim is for all schools to have a School Travel Plan in place by 2010, thereby reducing congestion and increasing the use of sustainable travel modes.
Over 80% of schools in the Wokingham Borough have School Travel Plans in place. The School Travel Plan Advisors are currently assisting the remaining schools with the plans in order to achieve 100% of the schools signing up to a School Travel Plan.
A school travel plan puts forward a package of measures to encourage safer, healthier and more sustainable travel choices on the school journey. It is backed by a partnership involving the School, Education and Transport Officers from the Local Authority, the Police and the Health Authority and is based on consultation with teachers, parents, pupils and governors and other local people.
Benefits
School travel plans have many benefits to the school, the local community and the environment. Some examples are:
- Creating a safer environment around the school gates
- Encouraging responsibility and independence on the school journey
- Helping to establish safer walking and cycling routes in the vicinity of the school
- Reducing congestion in the area around the school
- Reducing pollution
- Improving road safety awareness
- Helping improve the health and fitness of pupils
- Helping schools reach the Healthy Schools Standard
- Linking in with the National Curriculum
- Helping achieve OFSTED approval
- Capital grant funding for state schools - see below
Funding
In 2004 capital grant funding was introduced for all LEA - Local Educational Authority - schools with school travel plans that reach certain minimum criteria. Schools that have produced travel plans prior to this can update them with assistance from the School Travel Plan Advisor and then submit them for grant funding.
The grant is:
- £3,750 + £5 per student for a Primary School
- £5,000 + £5 per student for a Secondary School
The money may be spent on anything of a capital nature that is related to reducing congestion or making the area around the school safer. Examples are:
- Cycle/scooter storage facilities
- Lockers for pupils that cycle to school
- Shower facilities for staff that cycle to school
- A shelter for parents that walk with their children to wait under in bad weather
Plans are submitted in March each year and funding is awarded in June. Schools have 3 years to spend the money from the time of submitting the plan.
More details
If your school is interested in finding out more information about School Travel Plans then plesae contact the School Travel Plan Advicers on 0118 908 8302 or 0118 908 8308 or email: Jan.Heath@wokingham.gov.uk or Heather.Eley@wokingham.gov.uk
Parents should contact the school directly if you are interested in learning more about the scheme.
Setting up a walking bus or park and walk scheme
- We send out a questionnaire to find out how many parents would be interested and the direction they will be coming from.
- We determine the best route and have this risk assessed.
- We send out a brochure which:
- Specifies the route
- Asks parents when they would like their children to use the bus;
- Asks when parents could help escort the group;
- Asks if there will be pre-school children who would be part of the walking bus when their parents are escorting it.
4. We set up a meeting between the escorts to delegate responsibilities, such as a bus coordinator - who is contacted if an escort cannot make it and they will then ring someone on the standby list, and bus leaders who will look after the tabards of children who are not on the bus everyday - this is usually a shared role. We also look at dates for a trial and launch and make sure that all the escorts have a CRB form. The parents are also given a procedures form.
5. We have a trial run. The Road Safety Officer and Travel Plan Advisor will be there to attend and train the escorts. This is also used to promote the bus and used to encourage others to join.
6. The bus is officially launched. All escorts must be CRB checked and the ratios must fit the guidelines in the procedures form.
Further information
For more details call the School Travel Plan Advisor on: 0118 908 8308 or email: Heather.Eley@wokingham.gov.uk
