Starting Primary School

All parents want to choose the right school for their child to attend and have many different things to consider before deciding which is best.

We would also like you to think about how important travelling to school sustainably can be for your family.

Sustainable modes of travel are seen as the ‘best’ way to travel as there are increased opportunities for parent/child interaction. Further benefits of travelling sustainably to school include:

Children who walk to school are fitter, have better developed social skills, and are more familiar with their surroundings.
Walking, cycling or using public transport offers children greater independence and flexibility
Pupils are more alert than if they travel by car and have better road sense, arriving at school more relaxed and ready to learn.
The local area around the school becoming a visibly safer place for cyclists/walkers
Reduced levels of congestion which in turn relieves the pressure of time on parents;
Promotes good relations between the school and the local community;
Reduced carbon footprints for individuals and the school;
Reduction in fuel costs, consider the cost of driving your child to school. Current figures put the average cost based on 46.2p per mile at £216 primary school per year. (AA average car travelling costs for 10K miles per year 2013)

Choosing a school that you have to drive to is a long term commitment- will you still want to or be able to do this in seven years time? Think about other options like car sharing or using public transport as these can help reduce your costs, carbon footprint and encourage your children to be more sociable.

To plan your journey by public transport, foot, bike or car use the journey planning tool under useful links.