Active travel, when embedded into a school can have a hugely positive impact on all the stakeholders associated with the school. One benefit can be the positive health related impact on pupils travelling in a more active manner, contributing to the CMO recommended guidelines of 60 minutes of moderate physical activity in a day for those aged 5-18. Parents travelling to school with their children in an active manner will also see the health benefits.

Through more pupils travelling actively to school there will naturally be fewer cars completing the school run. This will also have a benefit to the safety around the school gates during school drop off and pick up times. Active travel can alleviate the stresses of travelling by car to school, inconsiderate parking affecting school and residents' access and improve the general atmosphere outside of school and relating to the school run.

A Whole School Approach to Promoting Active Travel will ensure that all members of the school community are involved (staff, students, parents, and governors); that learning is backed up by school policies and reflected in the culture, ethos and environment of the school.

There are 9 strands of the Whole School Approach

Leadership and Management and Managing Change

• The Head Teacher and SLT ensure that Active Travel has a high status within the school
• The school has a Travel Plan champion and a working group in place, responsible for the high status of Active Travel within the school.
• Ensure governors, PTA and others related to the school are aware of the importance of Active Travel and the numerous benefits it can have.
• Demonstrate a good example as a school. Avoid staff parking issues on site, build Active Travel and road safety examples into the curriculum and where possible use active travel as a mode of transport as a school, on trips for example.

Policy Development

• The school is registered on Modeshift STARS and either has an up to date school travel plan or is working through the system to create a school travel plan.
• Once the school has completed their travel plan this is published online.
• Staff, governors and pupils are aware of the schools focus on active travel and updates are regularly communicated.
• The school is aware of how active travel can impact and benefit other related policies e.g. healthy school status, PE sports premium funding, eco school status.

Curriculum planning and resourcing (including working with external agencies teaching and learning

• Where appropriate and possible, modes of active travel are used and adopted by the school for school trips, for example to attend swimming lessons.
• Active Travel is deployed within the curriculum for educational purposes for example walking to the local church to compliment learning in R.E, walks to local historical sites or use of the environment to inspire writing in English.
• All staff are aware of the schools high priority given to Active Travel, teaching staff find ways to effectively build Active Travel into the curriculum.
• The school travel plan champion makes other staff aware of Modeshift STARS initiatives, so all completed initiatives are registered within the Modeshift system and teaching staff are aware of possibilities to embed active travel into the curriculum.
• The school liaises with the local authority on the possibility of delivering the Balanceability and Bikeability programmes within school.

School culture, ethos and environment

• The school ensures that the appropriate infrastructure is in place to support all people visiting the school to travel actively. This can include accessible cycle and scooter parking.
• Programmes to support those who need to travel by car are in place e.g. park and stride, car sharing schemes, walking buses.
• Set a good example as a school, in regards to Active Travel, road safety, parking and anti-idling amongst other topics.

Giving pupil's a voice

• All pupils are involved in identifying barriers to active travel and identifying solutions to those barriers.
• The school operates the Junior Road Safety Officer scheme; these pupils educate their peers on road safety and can be involved in completing the Modeshift STARS process.
• The school council are aware of the schools involvement with the Modeshift STARS process and voice the views of their peers. Both the school council and the JRSO's have input in completing the school travel plan.

Provision of pupil support services

• Children can be among the most at risk when travelling, with the most dangerous hours on the road being between 7am-9am and 3pm-6pm, by adopting the Whole School Approach to Active Travel these risks will be lowered.
• The school and associated infrastructure should not be a barrier in and of itself to Active Travel.
• Through the school travel plan champion, the school is aware of relatable national campaigns and aware of the local offer.

Staff professional development needs, health and welfare

• The school ensures teachers, governors and support staff receives appropriate CPD, INSET and ongoing support so that they feel confident and competent to contribute towards a whole school approach to improving air quality
• The school staff embed Active Travel into the school day, displaying positive examples.
• SLT make other staff aware of sustainable travel options and encourage staff to travel sustainably where possible. This can include car sharing.

Partnership with parents, carers and local communities

• The school acknowledges that parents and carers often choose how pupils travel to school. The school works with parents to find modes of Active Travel that work for them.
• Parental voice within the Modeshift STARS working group.
• Residents can often be affected by inconsiderate parking around the school premises; residents are made aware of the efforts the school is making in relation to the Whole School Approach to Active Travel.

Assessing, recording and reporting pupil's achievement

• Modes of travel surveys for all pupils and staff are completed, in line with the Modeshift STARS system.
• After following the Modeshift STARS process, the school will have an up to date travel plan and STARS accreditation. Pupils, parents, governors should already be aware the school is undertaking the process, however should be notified the school has achieved an award.
• School council and JRSO's, along with assistance from staff, document what has taken place across the academic year and the benefits it has made to all individuals related to the school.