School travel plans

1. Funding opportunities

School Travel Plan Capital Grant

Any schools that completed an approved travel plan by March 2010 received a grant to spend on capital works on their school ground. This should be something identified in the Travel Plan to help the school increase sustainable travel to schools.  Ideas include:

• Cycle parking
• Scooter parking
• Waiting shelters for parents
• Playground markings for practising road safety
• Travel Plan noticeboard
• Improving the school entrance

Please note: the deadline for capital grants has passed, these grants are no longer available.

Wandsworth Small Grants Scheme

Schools that have spent their capital grant or would like to purchase non-capital items can apply for a Small Grant to enable them to continue developing and implementing their Travel Plan. Applications for a Small Grant are welcome at any time throughout the year.

Who is eligible?

Grants are only available to schools that have an up to date travel plan (i.e. where any required travel plan review/re-write has been completed and approved). Schools requiring a Small Grant to purchase capital items must be able to provide proof that they have spend all of their original Capital Grant on capital items.

What can we use the grant for?

Your small grant can be used to buy resources, equipment or services that you can show to further the aims of your School Travel Plan. For example:

• Bikes for cycle training/loaning out to teachers
• Competition prizes
• Cycle equipment e.g. cycle computers, lights, repair kits
• Bikers' breakfasts
• Reflective badges, jackets, arm bands
• Training workshops
• Pedometers etc.

Mayor's Cycle Parking Scheme

Some schools' Travel Plans identify a need for secure cycle parking facilities. Each Easter, we nominate these schools to take part in the Mayor's Cycle Parking Scheme. Schools taking part in this scheme will receive cycle parking facilities that meet their needs at no financial cost.

2. Highway improvements

For schools that identify the need for Highway Improvements around their school to help achieve targets set in their Travel Plan, we will bid for additional funding to implement these measures.

Highways improvements can include:

• Introducing crossing facilities
• Traffic calming measures
• Improving school signage

3. Policy links

Healthy Schools

Promoting walking and cycling to school is a minimum requirement for schools seeking national healthy school accreditation. In the Wandsworth Healthy School Scheme an active school travel plan will count as your annual case study.

Sustainable Schools and Eco-Schools

Travel and transport has a key role in each of these initiatives and your school travel plan can help you fulfil the criteria to gain Eco-Schools status and become a Sustainable School.

Every Child Matters

Writing a School Travel Plan can help your school deliver the Every Child Matters Outcomes Framework. Below is an example of how the Travel Plan is applicable to each outcome:

Be Healthy: A school travel plan promotes greater physical activity on the journey to school both through incentive schemes and gaining funding to improve facilities on the school journey.

Stay Safe: The school travel plan may identify:

• The need for road safety training and cycle training
• The need for engineering works to make the journey to school safer
• How children can use public transport safely

Enjoy and achieve: Children are encouraged through fun incentives to walk to school. Walking or cycling to school helps calm children to learn. Walking or cycling to school can also put children in a better frame of mind to concentrate and learn once they get to school.

Make a positive contribution: Pupils should be engaged in the travel plan process - listening to and expressing views about their travel choices and the local environment.

Achieve economic well-being: Developing a School Travel Plan can increase a young persons ability to interact with their community and participate in decision-making. It can also improve school site and local environment.