Warwickshire News Mine

Congestion outside the school gates is being tackled by Warwickshire County Council as 33 of the county’s schools prepare to pick up grants from the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Transport.

These grants will enable the schools to implement a School Travel Plan in an attempt to reduce congestion by encouraging pupils to walk, cycle or use public transport to get to school.

In Warwickshire 112 schools have now got an approved travel plan, and many have already spent their grants on projects that have improved their travel facilities.

Warwickshire County Council’s team of School Travel Plan Advisors are on hand to work with schools, setting up Travel Plans, tailor-made to their particular needs, which considers both health and safety of all those involved whilst looking at ways of reducing dependence on the car.

Cllr Martin Heatley, Warwickshire County Council’s Cabinet member for the Environment said: “Implementing a School Travel Plan is more important now than it has ever been. The number of cars used on the school run has increased dramatically over the last 20 years.

“It is estimated that during term time, in urban areas, nearly one in four cars on our streets at 8.50 am are on the school run. Recent studies have also shown that one in four children (aged 11-15) in England are obese; this is double what it was ten years ago.”

The School Travel Plan Advisors aim to highlight the health benefits to pupils who increase their exercise by walking or cycling to school. Many teachers have also said that children who walk to school tend to show greater levels of concentration and arrive alert and ready to learn.

The travel plans allow schools to set out a number of measures to encourage parents and pupils to consider healthier and more sustainable forms of transport.

An incentive for schools that have an approved plan is that the Government grant will made available to help them implement their schemes.

Schools can choose to spend the grant on a number of capital projects within the school grounds. This can include cycle storage, pedestrian waiting areas, new paths, improved lighting, bus turning circles, guardrails and barriers to improve access.

Hannah Collett, School Travel Plan Advisor, said: “It is really encouraging that so many schools have written a School Travel Plan and are considering ways in which to reduce car use on the school run. The grant will enable the schools to encourage their pupils to choose sustainable methods of travel and will also help many schools to move forward with their plans.”

Warwick Area
All Saints Primary School, Leek Wootton
Cubbington C of E Primary School
North Leamington Community School and Arts College
Thorns Community Infant School, Kenilworth

Stratford Area
Barford St Peter’s C of E Primary School
Ettington C of E Primary School
Ilmington C of E Primary School
Kineton C of E Primary School
Loxley C of E Community Primary School
Quinton Primary School
Southam St James C of E Primary School
Tanworth in Arden School
Thomas Jolyffe Primary School
Wellesbourne C of E Primary and Nursery School
Wootton Wawen C of E Primary School

Rugby Area
Binley Woods Primary School
Lawrence Sheriff School
St Oswalds C of E Primary School

Nuneaton and Bedworth Area
Abbey C of E Infant School
Arden Forest Infant School
Bulkington Road Nursery School
Canon Evans C of E Infant School
Canon Maggs C of E Junior School
Higham Lane School A Business and Enterprise College
Middlemarch School
St Michaels C of E Primary School
St Pauls C of E Primary School
Stockingford Infant School

North Warwickshire Area
Bournebrook C of E Primary School
Curdworth Primary School
Hurley Primary School
Kingsbury School A Specialist Science and Mathematics College
Michael Drayton Junior School

Link to WCC