
- Why is a
School Travel Plan needed?
- Independent Schools - Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools - What Benefits can a School
Travel Plan offer?
- Health and physical activity
- Child safety
- Environment
- Curriculum links
- Ofsted links
Why
develop a School Travel Plan?
There are a number of reasons why schools may want to consider how
their students, staff, parents/guardians and visitors travel to and from
their establishments. These might include:
- Problems with school gate congestion
- Concerns about safety of students
- Problems with parking (either on or off-site)
- Lack of awareness about the benefits of using a range of different travel options
- Lack of facilities to encourage the use of all modes of transport
- Concerns about the health of students
- Changes in school catchment, building size or numbers on roll
- Concerns about the local environment

If a school has any of these concerns then it is likely that a
successfully implemented School Travel Plan can help.
The information that is then gathered
through the School Travel Planning process may then assist with
completing schools' Self Evaluation Form (SEF).
The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) is also encouraging schools to produce School Travel Plans and has set local authorities a target for all schools in their areas to have a travel plan by 2010. In a DCSF press release, Schools Minister Stephen Twigg stated that:
That is why we want to encourage local education authorities to make walking, cycling and bus travel safe, green, healthy options for more schools and their pupils”[1]
There has also been guidance from the DCSF entitled Healthy living blueprint for schools where it is stated that:
