The Welsh Government has called on schools across Wales to produce their own active travel school plan (ATSP). This plan helps schools change the way people get to school, by encouraging walking, wheeling and cycling instead of driving.
In response, over 300 schools have written active travel plans, with some schools already securing funding for making improvements that help pupils to travel actively to school. As a result, schools across the country have seen real benefits, such as new bike shelters being built and improvements to travel routes.
A great example of this success is Romilly Primary School in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan. The active travel plan led to the successful implementation of a new, eco-friendly bike shelter for the school, as well as improvements to the pavement outside the school, making it more accessible for young and old.
Headteacher, Katy Williams, shared, "I'm enthusiastic about all measures suggested. They are a great opportunity to change the current, not ideal situation."
What is an active travel school plan?
Active travel school plans are short documents that help schools make it easier for pupils, parents, guardians and staff to have healthier, safer and sustainable journeys to school.
They give schools the building blocks to make travelling actively a real choice. This can help make the journey to school safer, make pupils healthier and more focused, and improve the local area.
An active travel school plan helps school to:
- Improve road safety, especially during drop-off and pick-up times
- Encourage physical activity, which helps kids feel more confident, promotes healthy lifestyles, and helps to tackle child obesity issues in Wales
- Improve focus in the classroom, because regular physical activity like the recommended 60 minutes a day can help students pay better attention in school
- Give families more options for getting to school
- Access funding, such as Welsh Goverment's Safe Routes in Communities (SRiC) funding through local authorities
Why get involved?
Every school's needs are different, and these easy-to-create plans help pupils, parents, guardians and school staff to make healthier and more sustainable travel habits.
The active travel plans also lead to real benefits to local communities through improvements to the streets around the school that make communities safer and easier to access for everyone.
"We recommend schools seize this great opportunity to make a lasting impact on the safety and well-being of our children and young people," said Patrick Williams, Head of Liveable Cities and Towns at Sustrans Cymru.
"By making school travel safer and more sustainable, we're helping create a healthier future for our schools, our communities, and our planet."