School Travel Plans

In 2003 the Department for Education and Skills and the Department for Transport got together to introduce an initiative to encourage all schools to develop a Travel Plan with the object of reducing the use of the private car on the school journey.

Their aim is to bring about a “step change in home to school travel patterns” which will cut congestion and pollution as well as allow more pupils to get regular exercise by walking or cycling to school.

This site gives you an outline of what a School Travel Plan is, its aims and objectives, details of the grant your school will receive, how to write a School Travel Plan and the help that is available to enable your school to develop a Travel Plan.

Safety of the school community on the school journey

• Promote and encourage sustainable methods of transport
• Reduce the use of the private car
• Support healthy lifestyles

There are many options available to schools to cut down on car use. 

A few suggestions:

• Car-sharing
• Park and Walk schemes
• Walking buses
• Drop-off /pick-up only zones
• More use of the school bus
• Join in the Walk to School Weeks - pupils can gain points/stickers for car-sharing, parking and walking, using the bus, cycling, as well as walking to school.

• A description of the school, its site and travel issues with maps and pictures
• The results of a survey of pupils' travel patterns
• Clearly defined targets and objectives
• Details of proposed measures to help achieve targets
• Detailed Action Plan for implementation of measures with clearly defined responsibilities
• Evidence that all interested parties have been consulted
• Proposals for monitoring and review

The government awards a grant of £3750 plus £5 per pupil to schools who have successfully developed and signed off a Travel Plan.  This means that primary schools receive, typically, £5000 and high schools £10,000. 

The grant is a capital sum which must be spent on improvements within the school or its grounds - for example on a cycle shelter or a parents' shelter.  It cannot be spent on staff costs or equipment.

The grant is normally paid in June/July of the year in which the Travel Plan is completed, and schools normally have three years to spend it. 

• Form a Travel Plan Committee, consisting of staff, governors, parents and pupils
• Appoint a Travel Plan Co-ordinator
• Do a hands up survey of pupils to find out how they travel to school
• Send a questionnaire to parents to find out how they travel and how they think things could improve
• Hold a meeting for parents / assembly for pupils to publicise the Travel Plan
• Decide on aims and objectives
• Decide how you are going to achieve these
• Formulate an Action Plan
• Set SMART targets
• Put in place a review and monitoring procedure
• Get the plan signed off by the Head and the Chair of Governors
• Send it to Herefordshire Council for approval

Herefordshire Council has specialist help available.  We have a School Travel Adviser and a School Travel Support Worker who will come and meet with you and work with your Travel Plan Committee and your pupils to help you develop your Plan.

A set of Guidelines and a Template are available for you to follow to ensure that your Plan follows the format laid down by the DfES.

The School Travel Adviser is responsible for signing off the Plan and checking that all the criteria are met.

Please contact:

School Travel Adviser, Herefordshire Council

01432 260262

sustainabletravel@herefordshire.gov.uk

93 state schools in the county have already completed their Travel Plans. This means that over 90% of our state schools have signed up to a commitment to try to reduce the number of cars coming to their school.  The government target is for 100% of all schools including independents to have Travel Plans by 2010,  so Herefordshire schools are well on the way to achieving this. 

Schools with Travel Plans are also encouraged to apply for Achievement Awards, which come with a grant of up to £500 from Herefordshire Council, if they have achieved their targets and implemented their Action Plans.  So far 30 schools have received First Achievement Awards and a further 6 schools have received First and Second Achievement Awards.  These are our star schools who are making a real difference to school run by decreasing car use and improving safety.