Active school travel (AST) refers to travelling to school using physical activity such as:
- walking
- wheeling
- scooting
- cycling.
Every school should have an up-to-date school travel plan.
This should set out how they'll promote safer, active and sustainable travel to school, reducing the number of children being driven.
How your school can promote active school travel
It's important that children are inspired to travel to school using active travel so that these behaviours are continued into later life.
As well as national campaigns, we run various schemes throughout the year that schools can sign up to, all helping to promote AST.
We encourage all schools to incorporate all or some of the initiatives below into their events calendar, inspiring more children to travel to school actively.
Active school travel calendar
October Walk to School Month Challenge - 7 to 18 October 2024
In celebration of international walk to school month, we're encouraging all schools to compete in their local competition, Little Trekkers (primary) and Striders (secondary).
Schools will compete against each other to see who can record the highest percentage of active travel journeys over the 2 week event, with prizes awarded to the top performing schools.
Visit the October Walk to School Month Challenge page
Big Walk and Wheel Campaign - 24 March to 4 April 2025
This is the UK’s largest inter-school walking, wheeling, scooting and cycling competition.
Schools can compete against each other to see who can achieve the greatest number of human powered journeys.
A Medway Schools leaderboard will be created by the Sustainable Transport Team to help generate some friendly competition between neighbouring schools.
Schools will also have access to the national leaderboard as well as free resources to support this event.
Visit the Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel website
Walk to School Week Challenge - 19 to 23 May 2025
In association with Living Streets’ Walk to School week, we run a local competition called the Walkin’ n Wheelin’ Challenge.
All Medway schools are encouraged to sign up and compete in this free 5 day event.
Clean Air Day - 19 June 2025
This is the UK’s largest air pollution campaign, which helps to improve public understanding and reduce levels of air polluting behaviours.
Free resources are available to help promote this campaign in your school.
Visit the Transform Our World website for Clean Air for Schools resources
All year initiatives
Think Smart, Park Safe
Medway, like many other areas, has ongoing issues with inconsiderate and dangerous parking outside schools.
We offer various resources, including a Think Smart, Park Safe banner that is available through our loan scheme to help tackle these issues.
Visit our Think Smart, Park Safe page
Bikeability
Bikeability is a nationally accredited training programme that builds confidence and teaches skills to navigate roads safely by bike.
All primary school children are offered level 1 and 2 training by Medway Council.
Visit our Bikeability cycle training page
Modeshift STARS - school travel plans
Modeshift Stars is an online platform that allows schools to submit, maintain and update their school travel plans.
It offers national accreditation from green through to platinum for schools who complete a series of targets for increasing active travel to school.
Find out more about the scheme and how to register on the Modeshift STARS website.
Walking Bus
A walking bus is a fun, healthy, safe and sustainable way of travelling to school.
Children and volunteers walk in a group along a set route, picking up or dropping off ‘passengers’ at specific bus stops to and from school.
To find out more about the benefits of setting up a walking bus and the resources available, visit our Walking bus page.
Living Streets WOW - walk to school challenge
WOW (Walk Once a Week) is an initiative that runs throughout the year, where children report how they travel to school using an interactive WOW travel tracker.
Rewards will be given to those who travel at least once a week by:
- walking
- wheeling
- cycling
- scootering.
To find out more and register visit the Living Streets website.
Road safety
Delivered by our road safety officers, we offer a variety of road safety lessons designed to cover a range of age related topics and skills.
Active travel for all
Explore getting active in your local area, from health walks to cycle groups and much more.
Visit the Everyday Active website
Benefits of active school travel
Not only does AST have a positive impact on a child’s physical and mental wellbeing, it can also reduce congestion, improve air quality and make roads outside of schools safer.
AST has lots of benefits, it can:
- increase alertness and concentration levels
- improve heart, lung and bone health
- have a positive impact on mental health, including feeling more independent
- contribute towards a child’s 60-minute daily recommended exercise
- facilitate better sleep
- promote awareness of the local area.
It can also:
- help develop friendships within the local community
- reduce vehicle emissions due to a reduction in car usage
- improve air quality around schools
- reduce traffic volume around schools due to fewer cars on the road
- lower probability of vehicle collision and injury
- help develop road safety awareness.
Download the active school travel guide
You can also download and print the active school travel guide.
More information
For more advice on active school travel please contact transportinitiatives@medway.gov.uk.