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Safer routes to school

MAKING THE ROADS AROUND YOUR LOCAL SCHOOL SAFER AND LESS CONGESTED

Roads around schools at drop off and pick up times are often dominated by cars which are badly parked and contribute to dangerous levels of congestion and pollution. This can make the walk to school feel unsafe for children and their families.

There are lots of ways that routes to school can be improved from introducing a 20mph speed limit, to setting up a Controlled Parking Zone or closing the road to motor traffic through a 'School Streets' scheme. Here we have everything you need to make the roads outside your local school safer.

Email your council

Write directly to your council to call for them to use existing powers to create car-free zones outside schools.

Two pupils stood outside a School Street

School Streets Toolkit

School Streets - where cars are prevented from going up to the school gates at drop off and pick up times – have been successfully implemented across the UK. 

school streets toolkit front cover

Graphic reads 'Activity' and an upwards arrow
Graphic reads 'Pollution' and an down arrow
Graphic reads 'Safety' and an upwards arrow
Graphic reads 'Congestion' and a down arrow

Safer routes to school in action

Check out some examples of community action across the country. No two streets are the same...

London

Pupils at Millfield Community School were already taking part in WOW, our year-round walk to school challenge. So signing up for the local council's school street closure scheme was the obvious next step!

Croydon

How our local Living Streets group helped transform a neglected patch into a well-loved play space and part of a safe route to school.

Edinburgh

Sciennes Primary in Edinburgh, another school that participates in WOW, was able to rely on parent volunteers to make their school street scheme a success.