Sustainable Modes of Travel to School Strategy consultation

Actions – Sustainable Modes of Travel to School Strategy consultation

Consultation closed: Wednesday 31 December 2025
Consultation opened: Wednesday 19 November 2025

The actions we will take to deliver the objectives are set out in 7 themes:

  • Encouraging behaviour change
  • Walking initiatives
  • Cycling and scooting initiatives
  • Public transport initiatives
  • Safer walking routes
  • Safer cycling routes
  • Safer roads

Encouraging behaviour change

School travel planning

All schools are encouraged to develop a Travel Plan with the aim of increasing the number of journeys to and from school using sustainable travel.

Modeshift STARS (Sustainable Travel Accreditation and Recognition for Schools)

This is a national awards scheme to encourage and recognise schools that have demonstrated excellence in supporting sustainable travel.

We encourage every school to sign up and we assist with accreditation wherever possible.

Road safety education

We work with schools on an individual basis to provide advice and support on road safety issues. 

Junior road safety officers

Organised by Roadwise, Junior Road Safety Officers (JRSO) to promote road safety issues within the school and local community. Aimed at pupils in years 4 and above, a JRSO can maintain a road safety notice board, talk in an assembly or class on road safety themes, arrange competitions, award certificates, use the JRSO website and appoint the JRSO for the following year.

School Streets

Following successful pilots, we are looking to roll out the School Streets approach, implementing short periods of restrictions on school-gate traffic where this is beneficial and practical.

Walking initiatives

Park and stride

This scheme provides parents with a convenient location to park, where the remainder of the journey to the school gate is completed on foot.

The Big Walk and Wheel

Organised by Sustrans, the 'Big Walk and Wheel' is an annual event that challenge schools to see who can record the greatest number of pupils, staff and parents cycling, walking, scooting, or using a wheelchair to school. 

Walk to School Week

Organised by Living Streets, 'Walk to School Week' is an action-packed awareness week with fun events and activities to raise awareness about the benefits of regular walking to school.

Walk Once a Week

Organised by Living Streets, 'Walk Once a Week' (WOW) is a pupil lead initiative where pupils self-report how they get to school every day using the interactive WOW travel tracker and are rewarded with a badge. 

Walking Bus

A walking bus is a school-led scheme where pupils meet at a designated location and then walk collectively to school under the supervision of volunteers, usually a rota of parents or support staff.

Cycling and scooting initiatives

Bikeability

Bikeability is cycle training designed to provide children with the skills and confidence needed to cycle safely on local roads.

The target is for all eligible children to be trained annually to Bikeability Level 1/2 in advance of their transition to secondary school.

Scootability

Scootability is a progressive course that has been designed for teachers to use as part of the curriculum, at lunchtime or at after school clubs. 

Cycle parking

All schools are encouraged to install high quality cycle parking and for which grants are frequently made available.

Public transport initiatives

Public buses and trains

Where available, bus and train travel should be promoted by each school, particularly for pupils who are old enough to travel to and from school independently. 

School buses

Pupils that qualify for home-to-school travel may be given a travel pass for a contracted school bus service. If there are spaces available, it may be possible for pupils that don't qualify for home-to-school travel to purchase a travel pass.

Minibuses

In some cases, a school may provide home to school travel assistance using a minibus. The location where the minibus is parked, and the route pupils will need to take should be assessed to ensure that it is safe and away from other moving vehicles.

Taxis

A parking space either within the school grounds or in a safe, suitable location should be allocated for travel assistance taxis to wait. 

Safer walking routes

Each school site and the surrounding road network will differ, and therefore the possible infrastructure improvements that could be delivered will also differ. The list of engineering measures follows below and serves to highlight some of the possibilities:

  • pavement widening / resurfacing
  • dropped kerbs
  • pedestrian crossings / school crossing patrol officers
  • pedestrian entrance(s) into the school site

Safer cycling routes

Each school site and the surrounding road network will differ, and therefore the possible infrastructure improvements that could be delivered will also differ. The list of engineering measures follows below and serves to highlight some of the possibilities:

  • segregated and shared use paths
  • dropped kerbs to allow cyclists to access an off-road section, or to return onto the carriageway
  • appropriate signs so that a route can easily be followed
  • cycle entrance(s) into the school site
  • cycle parking

Safer roads

Each school site and the surrounding road network will differ, and therefore the possible infrastructure improvements that could be delivered will also differ. The list of engineering measures follows below and serves to highlight some of the possibilities:

  • speed limits
  • waiting restrictions 
  • school keep clear markings
  • preventing pavement parking
  • school signs
  • School Safety Zones