Sustainable travel to school

Why sustainable travel to school matters

Walking, wheeling, cycling or scooting to school is good for everyone. It reduces the number of cars making short journeys on our streets, helps improve air quality and reduces congestion. As well as getting more children walking, wheeling, cycling and scooting, the Council wants the school journey to be a healthy, safe and enjoyable part of the day for everyone.

Many parents and carers recognise the benefits of walking to school, including improvements in children’s mood and behaviour, as well as ensuring that everyone gets regular exercise. From reduced congestion to higher footfall for local businesses, the whole community benefits when children walk, wheel, cycle or scoot to school.

Traffic and parking pressures around schools

More parents and carers are opting to drive to school to drop off and collect their children. This has resulted in increasing pressure on space outside schools at the start and end of the school day. Many need to park further away from the school or arrive earlier. Residents living close to schools suffer daily from inconsiderate parking, resulting in safety, air quality and engine-idling complaints. The competition for parking near to the school gate makes it less attractive and less safe for those who walk, wheel, cycle and scoot to school.

Parent and carer responsibilities

It is the responsibility of the pupil’s parent or guardian to ensure that they attend school regularly and arrive on time. The pupil’s parent or guardian is also responsible for organising how they will travel to and from school, accompanying them where necessary or arranging for someone else to do so.

Choosing how your child travels to school

We ask that when applying for a school place, you consider how the child that you are applying for will travel to and from the school you have chosen. We strongly recommend that wherever possible, a sustainable mode of travel to and from school is how you plan to travel.

We also suggest that you consider how long it is likely to take to drive to and from school where that is the only option, especially if you are not choosing to apply for your nearest or catchment school. Demand on the highway network is extremely high at the start and end of the school day, which when travelling by car can take longer than at other times.