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Walking bus

Suitable for primary school pupils and their parents/carers. Supports EYFS and PE National Curriculum.

Overview

Programme

TfL Explorers Logo

Education phase

Early years Key stage 2 Key stage 1

Category of activity

Travel

Types of activity

Walking

How it helps

  • Supports EYFS and PE National Curriculum
  • Eases congestion at schools gates
  • Opportunity for JTA involvement

About the activity

Walking buses are a sociable and active way to travel to school. They allow pupils to learn about their local environment while reducing congestion and pollution at the school gates.

Pupils and volunteers meet at an agreed time and location and walk a set route to school in a group, picking up ‘passengers’ along the way. The same is done in reverse for the walk home.

While the walking bus can be initiated and supported by the school, it works best when run informally by parent and carer volunteers. You can gather interest and support the group to identify the most suitable meeting points and safest routes.   

This activity can be linked with route planning and Park and Stride

You can also involve your Junior Travel Ambassadors (JTA) in planning the routes and meeting points. Use TfL’s journey planning app or try walkit.com to help plan your routes.

What you’ll need

  • A group of organised parents/carers to coordinate the walking bus or buses! 
  • Hi-vis jackets or badges to make volunteers easily recognisable and stand out during the darker months
  • Promotion of walking buses on your school notice board and in newsletters

Activity steps

Step 1

Recruit volunteers. Promote the idea of a walking bus on notice boards or in your newsletter and see who is able to volunteer to get the bus up and running

Step 2

Gather your group. Offer a classroom or other meeting space for the group to meet one another and start planning

Step 3

Test the route. First walk the route without pupils, then invite families who live nearby to join the walking bus

Step 4

Start simple. Start with a small bus and see how it goes. You can then gradually introduce more routes on more days with more pupils on board!

Step 5

Share stories. Ask pupils to share their walking bus stories in class and assemblies. This will help to promote the idea and get more families involved

Step 6

Tell your story. Upload your evidence to "my activities".