Safer Routes to School

Safer Routes to School is a project to encourage and enable young people to walk to school and use other sustainable transport methods while at the same time promoting road safety, personal safety, environmental awareness and aiming to reduce traffic congestion and pollution. The project involves everyone in the school community and focuses their needs. Safer Routes to School is a national scheme supported by the local authorities and non-statutory organisations.

Southwark Council working with schools

The Safer Routes to Schools Programme has been active for five years in Southwark. Four to eight schools per year benefit from engineering measures designed to make children's journeys to school safer and to promote safe and responsible travel. Schemes completed this year include:

In partnership with the Council, schools have worked with parents, governors, teachers and pupils to identify problems with routes to seven Southwark schools.
Built a pelican crossing in Grange Road for Grange Primary School.
Celebrated 'Walk to School Week' in ten schools, including themed assemblies, lessons, guided walks and art workshops and completed two 'School Travel Plans'.
Installed a 20 mph for Joseph Lancaster Nursery and St Saviours and St Olaves Schools.

What is a School Travel Plan?

The school travel plan sets out practical measures to improve pupils' safety on the journey to school and reduce the number of journeys to school made by car. The school travel plan puts the school community's concerns into practical measures, raises awareness of the benefits of walking and cycling to school and demonstrates commitment to improving the environment.

What does setting up a Safer Routes to School scheme involve?

Schools are asked to give at least a one year commitment to the scheme. The basic steps are as follows:

Set up a working group to direct the project. Members can include parents, teachers, home school liaison workers, pupils, governors and a Council officer.
Using questionnaires, lessons and meetings to find out how pupils get to school and problems with the journey to school
Prioritise problems and set objectives. Work out the best way to achieve objectives and write school travel plan.
Carry out promotional activities, incorporate Safer Routes to School into the curriculum
Work with traffic engineers to identify engineering solutions, consult and implement
Evaluate scheme

How much time and resources are involved?

The school must appoint a main point of contact for the scheme. This will be the main resource requirement. Schools may also have to distribute materials to parents and hold meetings. Otherwise the time involved in very much determined by the school and what they decide to do as part of the scheme.

Useful websites