Over the last decade, more and more children have been travelling to school by car, limiting their opportunities to develop good travel habits that benefit their health, well-being and independence.
A School Travel Plan is a process whereby a school works out how it intends to make travel to and from school by pupils, parents, teachers and visitors safer and more sustainable. It should identify local issues relating to the school journey and outlines a series of practical steps designed to promote more sustainable travel choices, such as walking and cycling.
A School Travel Plan aims to:
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reduce the volume of vehicles on the school run; and
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encourage healthy and environmentally friendly travel choices.
What’s involved in a School Travel Plan?
The following are the different elements that schools need to take part in to be a School Travel Planning School:
School Travel Surveys;
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Walking
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Cycling
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Responsible car use; and
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Road safety
School Travel Plan Pack
Falkirk Council has developed a School Travel Plan Pack to help schools working on a School Travel Plan or the Eco Schools Transport Topic. It contains a series of ‘How To’ guides giving information on the different projects which are part of a School Travel Plan.
The School Travel Plan Pack is being introduced to schools on a cluster basis. The School Travel Plan Officer will contact your school as the pack is introduced.
School Travel Plan Awards
As part of the School Travel Plan Pack, schools are asked to submit a checklist showing what transport projects the school is working on. The checklist forms part of the assessment for Falkirk Council’s School Travel Plan Awards. There are four levels of award:
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Bronze
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Silver
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Gold
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Platinum
The Schools with School Travel Plan Awards are:
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School Name
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Level of Award
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Bankier Primary School
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Gold
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Bowhouse Primary School
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Silver
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Carron Primary School
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Gold
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Denny High School
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Bronze
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Kinnaird Primary School
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Silver
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Larbert High School
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Bronze
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Moray Primary School
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Silver
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St Patrick’s RC Primary School
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Silver
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Hands Up Surveys
A Hands Up Survey is where a class is asked how they travel to school on a particular day. Pupils are asked to put their hands up when asked if they travel to school by:
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walking
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cycling
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scooter/skate
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bus
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park & stride
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car
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taxi
The surveys give a good indication of how pupils travel to school and are a great way of monitoring a project, initiative or campaign a school is taking part in to increase levels of walking and cycling. Falkirk Council’s Transport Planning Unit carries out a survey across all schools every May.
In addition to Falkirk Council’s annual Hands Up Survey, a national travel survey is co-ordinated by Sustrans every September. This survey is the largest annually-recorded set of data to look at how children travel to school across Scotland, and is supported by all 32 local authorities.
Walk to School
Walk to School is a national campaign aimed at promoting the benefits of walking. There are two national Walk to School Weeks/Months each year in May and October. These campaigns are a way of promoting walking as a fun, healthy and congestion reducing form of transport to and from school. Schools are issued with stickers, posters, certificates and banners by Falkirk Council’s Transport Planning Unit to promote this initiative.
Walk to School Week is an action packed week that takes place in May every year as part of National Walking Month. October is International Walk to School Month, with over 40 countries encouraging children to ditch the school run. There are 4 schools and nurseries in Falkirk Council that take part in Walk to School each year.
For pupils who live too far away from the school to walk the whole way, try to promote park and stride.
Cycling
Cycling is a great way for children to get active and over short journeys it can be twice as quick as driving.
If you are interested in promoting cycling at your school, Cycling Scotland’s Cycle Friendly Schools Award| can help you towards achieving real benefits. Cycle Friendly School is a nationally recognised award for all primary schools in Scotland who are committed to increasing the number of children cycling to school. There is now also a pilot project for secondary schools|.
To encourage cycling to school, Falkirk Council offer schools cycle storage and cycle training.
All schools who have requested it from Falkirk Council’s Transport Planning Unit have cycle storage in their school to offer pupils and staff a safe and secure place to store their bike during the school day.
Playground cycle games are currently offered to schools through the Active Schools programme. This introduces cycling to pupils as a fun activity to keep fit and active.
Cycle training is currently offered through the following avenues:
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The Transport Planning Unit offer training on a cluster basis. This is done on request from the schools and the Active Schools Team.
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There is a voluntary route where schools can deliver the training themselves using Bikeability Scotland, devised by Cycling Scotland.
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Cycle training can also be offered to individual schools by the Transport Planning Unit through our School Travel Plan Pack. This will be offered on a referral basis as resources allow, and your school may be placed on a waiting list for training, depending on the number of requests.
Park Smart
School gate parking is a major issue in schools around Falkirk that affects the safety and well-being of both adult and child pedestrians and cyclists alike by blocking sight lines and increasing pollution.
Park Smart is a campaign that aims to reduce congestion and improve safety at the school gates. This involves the schools engaging with parents to tackle the issue of stopping and parking at the school gate and zig-zag markings, and involves engaging with parents to stop this practice.
Park and Stride
Walking or cycling to school the whole way is the best way of reducing congestion along school routes and improving health and fitness. However, if people opt to use the car there are still ways you can help reduce congestion around the school gates. One of the best ways to do this is Park and Stride – parking further away from the school gates and walking the last part of the journey to school.
Road Safety
Road Safety in schools is delivered by Central Scotland Police. Road Safety talks are carried out annually to all schools in the Falkirk area.