School Travel Plans

Find out what a School Travel Plan is, the benefits of having them, and advice on how to create one at your school.

What a School Travel Plan is

A School Travel Plan (STP) sets out how journeys to and from school can be safer, more active and sustainable. Each school will develop and tailor their own STP.

STPs set initiatives to help pupils walk, cycle and use public transport to travel. The main emphasis is on reducing the number of vehicles driving children to and from school.

Schools should create an STP in consultation with teachers, parents, pupils, governors and the local community. They should also review and update their STPs regularly.

An effective STP can help:

  • reduce the number of vehicles on the journey to school
  • improve safety on the journey to school
  • encourage more active and sustainable travel choices to and from school

Visit your school's website or ask at your school office to see a copy of your School's Travel Plan.

The benefits of having an STP

There are many benefits to having an active School Travel Plan.

For pupils it can improve:

  • health and fitness by encouraging walking, scooting and cycling
  • travel awareness and road user skills
  • academic performance

For the school it can:

  • improve safety around the school
  • reduce congestion around the school
  • establish a School Street
  • establish safer walking and cycling routes around the school
  • contribute to other school policies such as Eco-Schools and Healthy Schools
  • link to the National Curriculum

For parents it can:

  • reduce stress and time spent driving to school
  • increase quality time with their children
  • build better links with the school

For the local community it can:

  • improve the local environment by reducing air and noise pollution
  • reduce congestion problems
  • improve walking routes and road safety by identifying the need for infrastructure change around the school sites such as:
    • pedestrian crossings
    • marked school zones
    • cycle routes
    • parking and parking restrictions
    • pavement improvements
    • traffic calming features
    • traffic reduction at certain times of the day

As more schools put STPs in place, the greater the positive cumulative effect will be across the city. They will reduce the reliance on and impact of cars on the school journey. This will lead to less traffic, pollution and congestion on the roads and increased safety and wellbeing for everyone. 

School Travel Plan guidance

This guidance is for:

  • schools working on STPs to promote safer, active and sustainable travel to school
  • schools or developers preparing a STP for submission as part of a planning application

These guidance notes, combined with data from the surveys you carry out, should include all the information you need to write and review your STP.

For advice on updating or creating your school’s Travel Plan, send an email to school.travel@brighton-hove.gov.uk.

Teaching resources

Modeshift Stars has ideas and resources of how to create your STP, including how to link it into the National Curriculum.

Other useful links

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