Why it's useful to develop a school travel plan
A successful school travel plan will support any school strategy and improvement plan objectives you school may have to promote healthier and safer pupils, and cleaner air. It sets out the key objectives and actions that your school will undertake to improve road safety and promote sustainable travel to help reduce the reliance on cars for journeys to and from school.
Your travel plan can help plot out the key activities you need and want to undertake to support combatting these issues, explaining the how, why and when of what you are going to do throughout the year and across your school year groups, contextualised to your particular school setting.
Schools also often need to create travel plans to conform with planning regulations when undergoing site and building changes or a new construction. Your plan can be used to support your ongoing communications with the local community and residents, as well as to guide you in your decision-making around tackling issues such as local road congestion.
Some schools also develop a travel plan as a core part of their school culture and values where they want to focus on eco initiatives because they are keen to proactively tackle environmental issues together with their school community.
At the end of the academic year 2018/19 a total of 109 schools in Surrey were registered on Modeshift STARS. We want to work with Surrey schools to increase this for the benefit of us all.
Nationally accredited travel plans through Modeshift STARS
If you are going to develop a travel plan, we strongly encourage Surrey schools use the nationally recognised and accredited Modeshift STARS travel plan model which is supported by the Department for Transport. The awards scheme, with over 12,000 schools already taking part, recognises schools that demonstrate excellence in supporting cycling, walking and other forms of sustainable travel.
The national online school travel plan portal provides an online template and supporting materials so your school can simply and effectively create your online school travel plan, monitor and evaluate it on an ongoing basis through a secure login, and depending on the depth and breadth of your plan, achieve various levels of national accreditation and award which you can use in your school publicity.
How we can help
Our Safer Travel Team can also provide free training and advice on how to use the Modeshift STARS portal and develop a travel plan.
We also prioritise the provision of any of our other road safety and sustainable travel initiatives to those schools who are developing, or have already developed, a Modeshift STARS travel plan.
Contact us
- E-mail: safertravelteam@surreycc.gov.uk
- Telephone: 01483 517515
