Travel in Schools: Why it matters
Travel practices in schools have a significant impact on sustainability and community health. Daily student and staff commuting by car contributes to traffic congestion, carbon emissions, and poor air quality, particularly from idling vehicles outside school gates. Long-distance school trips, including flights, further increase carbon footprints. Meanwhile, limited active travel, such as walking, cycling, or scootering, reduces opportunities for physical activity.
Why Schools Should Engage
Schools have a critical role in shaping sustainable behaviours. Engaging with active travel and air quality initiatives helps reduce emissions, improve local air quality, and promote healthy lifestyles. Schools that champion sustainable travel model responsible behaviour, reinforcing environmental awareness among students and staff. It also aligns with wider sustainability goals, demonstrating leadership within the local area and contributing to global climate action efforts.
Actions and Embedding Sustainability
In the videos and resources below you can find out about the support on offer from national and local organisation. But there are also other initatives you can take, such as:
- creating safe cycling and walking routes,
- reducing car use through park-and-stride schemes,
- creating walking buses,
- integrating sustainability considerations into school trips,
- embedding travel sustainability into the curriculum,
- implementing operational policies, such as no-idling zones and incentives for active travel
By normalising sustainable commuting, celebrating achievements, and involving students in planning and monitoring, you can embed travel sustainability into both culture and practice.
Check out our air quality page to find out more about involving students in air quality monitoring and anti-idling resources
Active Travel Ambassadors
This short video introduces the Modeshift Active Travel Ambassadors programme which empowers young people aged 11+ to pitch innovative active travel and road safety projects. Participants receive expert feedback, connect with peers, and can secure funding to bring their sustainable transport ideas to life.
Active Travel Inspectors
Learn about Modeshift's Active Travel Inspectors scheme which empowers Key Stage 2 pupils to inspect their school neighbourhood, identifying ways to make walking, wheeling, and cycling easier and more enjoyable for school journeys.
The Way To Go Suffolk
Hear from Suffolk County Council's Active Travel Team about their bespoke school active travel leaflets, bike mechanic visits, bikeability for years 5,6 and secondary students, bikeability virtual rides, school streets, road safety workshops, and more! To find out more,
Bikeability’s Schools programme offers funded cycle training, curriculum-linked learning resources, and practical tips to promote cycling. It includes lesson plans, fun activities, safety guidance, and advice for arranging training, helping schools embed active travel and sustainability into everyday practice.
The Living Streets Walk to School page provides resources and initiatives to help schools promote active travel. It offers the WOW challenge, toolkits, lesson plans, policy guidance, and family support materials to reduce car use, improve health, and create safer, cleaner streets.
Catch up on the Transport & Air Quality Network Meeting to hear from the local Modeshift team, learn about the air quality resources available to Suffolk schools, and hear from a Suffolk primary school's about their School Street, and a high school's Modeshift experience.
