School travel plans

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

More details

If your school is interested in finding out more information about School Travel Plans then please contact the School Travel Plan Advisor on 0118 908 8308 or email: Heather.Eley@wokingham.gov.uk

Parents should contact the school directly if they are interested in learning more about the scheme.

Setting up a walking bus or park and walk scheme

A school walking bus is a fun, interactive way for children to walk to school as a group under the supervision of adult volunteers.  The bus runs from pick up points near a school and will travel to the school via a risk assessed route.

Adult volunteers will be people who are known to the school, mostly parents.  They will supervise the children as they walk from the bus stop to school. 

This step by step guide will help you in setting up your walking bus.

1. Contact Wokingham Borough Council's School Travel Advisor.

2. Find out how many parents would like their children to walk with the bus and how many parents would be willing to help out.  Ask them to provide postcodes so that a suitable route can be found.

3. Work with the Council's School Travel Advisor to identify a suitable route.  The bus will start from a pick up point near the school and travel to the school along a specified route.

4. The Council's School Travel Advisor will complete a risk assessment of the proposed route and suggest any changes or particular measures that may be required to make it safe to use.

5. Organise a meeting with the adult volunteers and assign particular roles and identify when volunteers are available to help.  You may need to set up a rota.

6. Carry out CRB checks on all volunteers.  The School Travel Advisor will provide training for volunteers.

7. Carry out a trial run and decide on a start date.  You may wish to put an article about the walking bus in the school newsletter or on the noticeboards to encourage more parents and children to become involved.

8. Launch the walking bus.

Further information

The Council's School Travel Advisor can offer help and advice in setting up your walking bus.  If you would like to set up a walking bus at your school please email: Heather.Eley@wokingham.gov.uk or Tel No. 0118 908 8308.