School Journeys
- Cars near school
- Walking Zones for Schools
- School Travel Plans
- Walking Initiatives
- Walking Bus Scheme
- Junior Travel Ambassadors
- Cycling to School
- Transition and Journey Planning
- School Streets Project
- Contact us
Cars near school
This short animated film is a reminder of the effect vehicles have on our environment.
Note for iPhone users and Youtube. There is a known bug with iOS and Youtube, Two buttons are read before the player but provide no functionality. We advise that you skip these to access the content.
Walking Zones for Schools
We have been working with schools to improve the safety and journey for our walking pupils.
We have provided every primary and secondary school with a map. If the map you need is not listed below, kindly email us for a copy of the specific school you need. smarter.travel@haringey.gov.uk they will be sent as a pdf to your email address.
Crowland School loved their Walk Zone map and created a very catchy song that highlights the messages very clearly - see them perform their song on YouTube (external link).
We have Walk Zone Maps for every Haringey School, so if your school is not on this list, please contact us to receive a digital copy: smarter.travel@haringey.gov.uk
School travel plans
Haringey schools are in the top 6 of London boroughs for school travel plans. If your school doesn't have a travel plan then you are missing out!
We have 54 schools with accreditation from Transport for London's Sustainable Travel: Active, Responsible, Safe (TfL STARS) scheme: 10 bronze, 4 silver and 40 gold. Accreditations are made in July after the school year ends. We enjoy 2nd place in London for Gold accreditations! Check your school's achievements on our Wall of Fame (PDF, 3.4MB)
There are STARS logos that all qualifying schools can use to show everyone their achievement: Gold, Silver, Bronze and Engaged (contact us at smarter.travel@haingey.gov.uk for these files).
You can use the TfL STARS site (external link) for resources to support activities that promote homeworking and independent travel – no sign in required.
The school travel plan is a system allowing schools to plan and carry out activities that encourage a reduction in travel by car to the school door. This year we are looking at all of the borough's schools to assess what improvements could be made. This includes the school's engagement with STARS and the impact a new traffic management scheme would have on the school, the area and the environment.
When a school encourages active travel, families and communities benefit from safer school sites, reduced pollution around the school, and improved fitness and health. It's an important factor in achieving Healthy Schools accreditation.
See also our road safety education page for more information about initiatives and schemes that we offer.
The information from these activities helps us to:
- reduce car journeys to schools
- consider the views of schools and families and make recommendations to improve the safety of journeys to school
- plan our engineering schemes
- reduce traffic congestion and parking problems around schools
- address your school road safety issues
Schools with approved travel plans are eligible to apply for grants from TfL. Schools can receive funding for anything from engineering measures, to planning curriculum work and classroom resources.
The latest online system to plan and record your school travel issues and initiatives is available online at the TfL STARS website (external link) suitable for secondary, primary and early years education establishments. Visit this website to register and email us to approve your application.
We offer one-to-one training for staff in our schools to use the site, making it easier to complete their school travel plan. The exciting news is that staff and pupils can now work together and aim at higher levels of achievement within the streamlined scheme.
Schools can find out more about updating their travel plan by contacting the Smarter Travel Team:
- Tel: 020 8489 5351
- Email: smarter.travel@haringey.gov.uk
Walking Initiatives
Each year we are looking at ways to encourage our pupils to walk to school. The benefits are far reaching, from simply arriving awake and alert and ready to learn, increased awareness of geography, maths and science, establishing a healthier more active lifestyle and helping reduce the CO2 and NO2 emissions around the school.
- The Walking Teddy Club (PDF, 451KB), is offered to encourage infants to walk to school. To take part please contact us on smarter.travel@haringey.gov.uk or call us on 020 8489 5351
- Walk to School Week (May) and International Walk to School Month (October). Resources are available from the Living Streets website (external link) - but contact us to find out if we have free resources and ideas to encourage your families and staff to change their travel habits
- Free your Feet (external link) is a resource available for secondary schools through the Living Streets website. It also builds towards your school travel plan accreditation on STARS
- Walks for Wellbeing - access free training and support, gain awards from joining the walking revolution - maybe set up group with your parents/families
- Crocodile Mascot - if you would like to liven up your walking initiative, contact us to book our adult size crocodile club mascot - an adult volunteer is required to wear at your event
Walking Bus Scheme
A walking bus is where a group of school children walk to and from school under the supervision of adult volunteers, one at the front (The Driver) and one at the back (The Conductor). They walk the same way each day, stopping at 'bus stops' to pick up and drop off kids along the way.
Recovery from the aftermath of the 'lockdowns' is important. Building safer routes to schools via our new LTNs using a walking bus will help parents too. Maybe children from the same class could walk the same route to school, a slight detour could bring several together to walk safely to and from school.
If you would like further information on the Crocodile Bus Club, please read our Get On Board - The Crocodile Bus Club leaflet (PDF, 506KB).
Junior Travel Ambassadors
Junior Travel Ambassadors (external Link) aka JTA
JTA teams are recruited within each school from pupils in year 4, 5 and 6. They work with a teacher to deliver the key road safety messages through assemblies and competitions to the school, created promotional display board in the school. This child a centred road safety scheme that builds individuals.
The children involved gain experience in many fields (all supported by online resources):
- peer teaching
- promotion
- running competitions
- preparing and delivering assemblies
This is a year long rolling programme that has lots of online free resources updated by TfL - we support and offer training in the borough, and encourage schools to attend TfL training days too. The STARS website (external link) has all the necessary information - no log in required.
Cycling to School
There is no better time than now to start improving your cycling skills.
Schools can access the bikeability training sessions using Cycle Confident (external link). These are free for every school to book.
Most schools have cycle racks to secure your bike and there are many sites showing how to lock bikes securely, including the London Cycling Campaign (external link).
Haringey has created cycling routes in the borough as well as the Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and School Streets but check out online mapping sites, as a quieter, more cycle friendly route could be just a road away.
Please contact us for further information: 020 8489 5351.
Transition and Journey Planning
Many of our young people attend children centres and nurseries, most are given transition information from their settings. We offer Road Safety activities such as this to help them learn about the world around them
- Activity worksheets:
- Road safety story for young children: Turtle Tale story (PDF, 1MB)
- Activity Sheet for young children from 4+: Starting school leaflet (PDF, 6MB)
- Home Learning resources from Transport for London: TfL travel planning site STARS (external link)
Moving Up from year 6 to year 7 for 2023
The transition from year 6 at the age of 11, to year 7 is the most noticeable change from being supervised, to becoming a more independent traveller.
Statistics prove this is the most vulnerable age, they are usually involved in road traffic collisions and may not be used to getting themselves around without supervision.
We offer various educational resources to help them with this. Parents/carers can help by working out routes with their children.
Moving Up Magazine:
Every year we provide a Haringey-specific magazine to every year 6 child. The magazine is full of useful advice, along with some information to help keep them safe.
This is accompanied by a transition competition just for this year group.
The magazine can be downloaded here - this is a large file, so if you have difficulty downloading it, please contact our team for a copy.
Mission Transition competition!
Competition for Haringey pupils moving to year 7 in September 2023.
Get your entries in by 30 July 2023!
Can you find your way around London using public transport and identify interesting landmarks?
Public Transport
Free bus passes are available for all students to support the active journey to school. Check the TfL website to apply for a Zip Oyster Card (external link).
Please practice the route to school with your year 7 and other young people and see whether they can safely change their journey.
For teachers, we recommend the Think Education Resources (external link).
Journey Planning
There are resources available for parents and home learning teams to use, as well as schools and teachers. These are fun and easy to use.
Download the documents below:
- Clean air route planning (PDF, 606KB)
- Morning routine lesson (PDF, 728KB)
- Year 6 - Moving up route finder (PDF, 407KB)
School Street Projects
School Streets is a scheme to transform roads outside schools so that only pedestrians and cyclists can use them at school start and finish times. Visit Haringey's School Streets pages for details of local participating schools.
Contact us
For further information about any of these schemes, please contact one of Haringey Council's Smarter Travel Officers:
- Tel: 020 8489 5351
- Email: smartertravel@haringey.gov.uk