Car free zone
Suitable for all nurseries and schools.
Overview
Education phase
Category of activity
TravelTypes of activity
How it helps
- Promotes positive travel behaviours
- Encourages whole school participation
- Eases congestion at schools gates
- Improves Air Quality around schools
About the activity
Create a car-free zone around your school for a healthier and safer environment for pupils and staff.
A car-free zone is an area in which parents/carers are not permitted to drop off their children. This could be a 100 metre radius around the school gates, for example. It encourages active travel and improves Air Quality around the school.
Work with your school travel working group to plan the implementation and maintenance of the car-free zone. This activity could work well alongside Park and Stride.
To maintain the effectiveness of the zone, promote it to the parents/carers of each new intake of pupils at your school.
What you’ll need
- Support from parents/carers and staff to keep a car-free zone around the school gates
- Promotional materials to promote the car-free zone and show its boundaries such as a large map in your school reception or handouts
How to evidence your activity
- Involve your borough officer: Share your ideas, agree your targets and discuss any challenges you face
- Record the feedback from your pupils, parents, staff and neighbours. Note the any changes in congestion around the school
- Add your story to the STARS website. Explain the activity, include your pupils’ feedback and some photographs – for example, before and after shots taken at the same time on a Monday morning – to show the difference the zone has made. Also add any posters and letters you produced
Activity steps
Step 1
Get planning. With your school travel working group plan your car-free zone. Discuss your ideas with your borough officer and ask for their input
Step 2
Know your numbers. Do a hands-up survey to find out how many pupils travel to school by car
Step 3
Involve the SMT. Discuss your plans to create a car-free zone with senior management and ask for their support
Step 4
Parent power. Consult with parents/carers and your school's neighbours to ask for their feedback on different options. Hold an information evening to explain the plans and answer their questions
Step 5
Promote the zone. Make a map of the new car-free zone showing areas for parents to park if they need to drive. Ask pupils to design banners or leaflets to promote it
Step 6
Go car free! Put your car-free zone into place. Have staff visible outside the school to remind parents and hand out maps
Step 7
Monitor progress. Ask members of staff to patrol the car-free zone during the first few weeks and speak to any parents/carers dropping off their children within the designated area
Step 8
Check for success. Re-do your hands up survey and check your targets to see the impact of the car-free zone
Step 9
Tell your story! Upload your evidence to "my activities"