School Streets FAQs for school leadership teams and teachers
A School Street at Surrey Square Primary School, South East London
Are you a senior leader or teacher curious to know how and why a School Street can benefit your school?
Below you can find the answers to the most common questions that schools have asked us over the years. Read on to hear all about this transformative scheme!
Why is a School Street a good idea for our school?
School Streets are being rolled out all over the country. There are over 1000 across England so far, and they are continuing apace. The reason for their popularity is that they are a simple, easy way of protecting families from air pollution and road danger on their way to school - currently the most toxic and dangerous part of their day.
Research has found that School Streets reduce traffic, air pollution and road danger. If we want a fit and healthy school community, a School Street is a big part of the answer. You can read more information about the basics of a School Street here.
Why is clean air so important for children’s health?
Children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution. They breathe more frequently and more deeply than adults. They are shorter, so closer to emissions from transport than adults, and their lungs are still developing. A school where hundreds of children spend their day is the worst possible place for air pollution. It gets trapped in classrooms, and playgrounds can become as polluted as the roads they are on until lunch break.
How does a School Street benefit a child’s mental health?
They make it safer to walk, cycle and scoot to school, creating a more pleasant environment and giving children a chance to get some exercise. Travelling actively improves mood, behaviour and confidence, increases attention levels and enhances performance. Everything a child needs for a great start to the school day. They also count towards the one hour of physical activity the NHS recommends children have each day.
Artwork created by the children of Kingswood Primary School with artist Linett Kamala. Image: Crispin Hughes.
“Headteachers often mention how children come to school more awake, alert and able to concentrate if they have walked or cycled in. Also in every school I work with, the vast majority of children say their preferred method of getting to school would be cycling, scooting or walking.”
It’s stressful and chaotic outside our school at pick-up and drop-off, how can a School Street make it better?
Many schools have to deal with challenging and dangerous driver behaviour outside their gates. This often obscures the fact that at most schools, the majority of children walk and cycle. Their journeys need to be safer. By implementing a School Street, those children are being protected. In addition to a safer environment, the area just outside the school no longer has to be policed in the same way by school staff. No more hi-vis vests, dangerous U-turns, or asking parents not to park on zigzags. The traffic reduction should mean a more relaxed and natural start to the school day.
Children at Acacias Primary School at their School Street launch event. Image: James Mulholland.
““Our School Street provides the opportunity for families to enjoy a more relaxed, active, healthier and safer journey to and from school. The children are happier and ready to enjoy their day!””
Where does the traffic, pollution and congestion go once the School Street is in place?
A School Street not only keeps air pollution away from the school and the playground, it also reduces it, due to the reduction in driving. Cars may still congregate outside the School Street, but there will be fewer of them, which means that the whole area will be less polluted overall. Research shows that in places where problematic behaviour such as dangerous parking arises, mitigating measures can be put in place that reduce it, in a way that wasn’t possible before.
Bessemer Grange Primary School Street. Image: Etta Collier.
“Some parents still drive to our school, but they park further away, where there are less children, so it’s less dangerous and polluting.”
Does our school need to support the School Street?
Most councils want a school to support a School Street, as it can be complicated to introduce one otherwise. But the role of a school is complicated. Already dealing with challenging behaviour outside the school at pick-up and drop-off, school staff can reasonably worry that they are putting themselves in the firing line by defending a School Street. If a school doesn’t feel comfortable publicly supporting a School Street, it can stay publicly neutral. As long as the school can pass on communications to families and liaise with the council, there doesn’t have to be a public declaration of support.
What’s the role of the council?
It is helpful and important for a council to highlight the fact that they are in charge of the roads, and it is their responsibility to protect the public there, whereas schools are in charge of the safety of their children on school grounds. By implementing School Streets, councils are taking their responsibility seriously, and schools are not the active partner in this situation.
What about the teachers? How will they get to school? Many of them drive.
Schools often worry about the impact of a School Street on their teachers. They worry that closing the road at pick-up and drop-off will mean it's hard for them to get to work. However, a School Street doesn't have to mean trouble for teachers who drive.
Teachers normally start school before the children have arrived, and end school after the children have left. For most of this time, the road is open to vehicles as normal, and they are completely unaffected.
If a teacher is already parked on a School Street and has to leave during the School Street hours, they will be exempt from the charge.
There may be a few teachers who do need to drive during School Street times, and alternative provision needs to be found for them. But this will not be ALL teachers and shouldn't stand in the way of a School Street.
Some councils have parking permits specifically for teachers. It lets them park in a Controlled Parking Zone at a slightly cheaper rate. This can be helpful when a School Street is introduced, as it reduces some of the stress that teachers can feel.
In the rare cases that a teacher has to enter the School Street during the closure times, some councils issue exemptions.