Safer routes to school

The aim of our safer routes to school strategy is to increase the amount of 'active travel' on the school journey. By doing this we help to increase children's fitness levels, reduce congestion at the school gate and improve the environment. 

Safer routes to school engineering measures are funded by Central Government. We work closely with our Traffic Management team to identify areas for improvement around our education settings and through collaboration implement measures that best suit the needs of the pupils and the wider community. A condition of the funding is that we have certain targets to meet. Each year we report on progress towards these targets in our Annual Progress Reports.

Targets for safer routes to school are based on:

• increasing safety on the school journey for pedestrians and cyclists
• reducing car journeys to school (by pupils and staff)
• increasing the use of active travel modes (walking and cycling)
• any funding that we allocate within the safer routes to school project, has to be used to help schools who are implementing their action plans so that they can meet all three targets.

Examples of safer routes to school projects

Engineering works have been carried out at a number of schools within the Borough. These works are all aimed at making the journey safer for pupils who wish to travel actively.

When Holmer Lake School developed a travel plan they identified the need for secure cycle parking as well as measures to encourage drivers to park away from the school. A local pub is being used as a park and walk location. The school travel plan was developed following concerns about the safety of pupils using a badly positioned zebra crossing outside the school entrance. As a result a new puffin crossing was installed and the school changed its site arrangements so that pupils could enter at a different location.

Tibberton school is within a rural attendance area and identified the need for a park and walk location to keep congestion away from the school entrance. Their safe school zone was introduced following the adoption of their school travel plan. The zone features thermoplastic carriageway markings, red matting and footsteps guiding pupils from the parking location into the school site. Additional funding was used to improve safety for pupils at the entrance to the school site, by widening the footpath and introducing a barrier rail.

The Dothill Primary School Travel Plan came about as a result of safety concerns linked to congestion at the school gate. A number of new footway/cycleways were installed and additional off-road footpaths were upgraded to form footway/cycleways. These paths have the added benefit that they are used by pupils walking and cycling to The Charlton School, as well as by members of the local community for leisure activities.

In addition secure parking was provided for 100 push bikes, in two purpose built shelters.

Last updated: 03/05/2022 08:44