Based on our ongoing work with schools across Scotland and the UK we have designed our resources and tools to support you to develop Confident Individuals, Effective Contributors, Successful Learners and responsible Citizens as part of the Curriculum for Excellence (CfE).
Our resources will help you
- Address school traffic or road safety issues around schools.
- Support pupils to be healthy, happy and ready to learn.
- Write an effective school travel plan.
- Run fun curriculum-linked activities.
- Find Career-Long Professional Learning and volunteer opportunities.
- Strengthen your school community and inclusion.
Initiatives available in Scotland
We work with Local Authorities and delivery partners, including Cycling Scotland and Living Streets Scotland, to support schools. Between us, we offer a wide range of resources, activities and funding opportunities to help schools explore, promote and enable active travel.
Supporting Safer and Active Travel in Scottish Primary Schools is a leaflet to help you navigate the variety of initiatives available and find the best options for your school.
School Travel Planning toolkit
Our School Travel Planning toolkit has been designed based on the experiences of teachers, pupils, parents and school travel professionals across Scotland. The toolkit includes templates, curricular links, teacher guides and case studies, and is linked to our Healthier Routes films that provide a step-by-step approach to pupils developing a school travel plan.
School travel plans can simply be a list of actions that a school agrees and commits to run as part of a whole-school approach. Writing one should not be an onerous task and working together to put the plan into action can be fun and a great learning experience. Many schools see their travel plan as an important component of becoming an excellent school, by supporting pupil’s health, wellbeing and safety. Others develop School Travel Plans to address specific issues, such as a traffic problem or because of an incident, while others are working towards accreditations such as Eco-School’s Green Flag or the Cycle Friendly School Award. Whatever the reason, the benefits of encouraging active travel are clear and a school travel plan can ensure you have a long-term vision for support at your school.
Engagement tools and schemes for primary schools
- Big Street Survey: A curriculum resource aimed at P5-P6 that guides pupils to investigate the area around their school and create a manifesto on how to make their streets safer and greener.
- The Big Pedal: This is our annual UK–wide biking and scootering challenge that rewards schools based on participation rates.
- Bike to School Week: Our Bike to School Week programme includes a five-day plan of activities that can be run anytime to encourage walking, cycling and scootering.
Interdisciplinary learning project for secondary schools: The Big Spin Business Challenge
Sustrans Education and Young People’s team is working to develop a secondary schools program covering Enterprise and Business skills and preparing pupils for life, learning and work.
In the project the pupils choose a Business Challenge connected to active travel to work together as a team to develop their business idea and plan.
Pupils will develop transferable skills in teamwork, leadership, communication, problem-solving, decision-making as well as upskilling in practical areas such as budgeting and managing money, marketing and market research.
From designing and marketing a clothes collection designed for active travel to developing a business plan for a bicycle-recycling social enterprise, the pupils will learn by doing supported by inspiring and engaging resources.
Teacher guides and classroom resources
- Suss It Out activity sheets: Five themed sheets with 10, 20 and 30-minute simple, snappy activities to inspire active travel.
- Active Travel to School Guide: Step-by-step 6-week guide to increase walking, cycling and scootering on the school journey.
Working with support from your Local Authority
Each Local Authority has its own school active travel and road safety approach. This incorporates local school travel planning arrangements and may include local initiatives and alternatives to specific activities offered by Sustrans, Living Streets and Cycling Scotland.
Sustrans works to support the network of School Travel Professionals in Local Authorities throughout Scotland through sharing good practice and joint planning or funding of projects. You can get advice and guidance on all aspects of active travel to school and road safety from your Local Authority team.
Training for pupils, parents and teachers
There is a range of training options available to help develop practical, professional, social, and curriculum-related skills that support schools to promote and engage in active travel.
