Cycling and walking to school

Bikeability aims to increase the confidence of the younger generation when riding their bikes on roads.

Please refer to Bikeability (opens new window) for more information.

WATW is run throughout the school year and each class collects points based on the mode of travel of each pupil; the more sustainable the mode, the more points you earn. Each point is worth 1 km and the aim is to beat the other classes on the 4,000 km journey around the UK.

This inter-class challenge has been designed not only to reduce levels of car usage on the school journey, but to aid the implementation of school travel plans.

A walking bus involves a group of children walking between home and school under the guidance of at least two trained adult volunteers. It can also work for a park-and-stride scheme to enable children to walk at least part of the way to school from an agreed parking area.

Help and support is available from the council. Once you have identified a potential route and have some parent volunteers available, you can contact the road safety unit to undertake a risk-assessment of the route and to train the volunteers. We can provide fluorescent, reflective tabards for adults and children.

Walk Safe (opens new window) aims to reduce child casualties in Wiltshire by developing necessary skills with pupils within key stage 1 and 2. Please contact your local school for further information.

The aim of a school travel plan is to reduce unnecessary car journeys to and from the school site by promoting sustainable transport, i.e. walking, cycling and using public transport, and identifying alternatives to single-occupancy car journeys such as car share or park and stride initiatives.

Wiltshire has a school travel plan adviser (STPA) available to support schools through the process of developing, implementing and updating a school travel plan.

What is a school travel plan?

A school travel plan (STP) is a written document setting out a package of measures designed to reduce car use and promote sustainable transport for journeys to and from the school site. It aims to improve safety on the school journey, cut congestion at the school gate, improve health and fitness through increased exercise, improve the environment and build links with the local community.

We offer help in the following areas:

• Advice on getting started - who should be involved, who should be consulted
• Surveys - forms to use, help with inputting and analysis
• Mapping - postcode plots of the catchment, maps to identify walking and cycling routes
• Provision of a school travel plan template
• Help with inserted data analysis and mapping into the template
• Advice on the content of your travel plan, including guidance on targets and initiatives
• Processing the grant application for funding.
• Advice on involving the pupils in the development and implementation of the plan.

We find that an ongoing dialogue between school and STPA is the most successful way of bringing about an approved plan.

Funding is available through our "taking action on school journeys challenge" (TAOSJ) for schools with an up-to-date travel plan (where the survey data are no more than three years old). Survey forms are available to download below, along with a travel plan template, TAOSJ application form and guidance notes. Survey forms may be sent to the STPA for collation and analysis.

Contact details: travelplanning@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window)
Telephone: 01225 713483
Postal Address: School Travel Plan Advisor, Traffic Engineering Team, Wiltshire Council, County Hall, Trowbridge, BA14 8JN.