Thirty-nine out of 40 primary schools in the London borough of Sutton have achieved a Transport for London’s STARS-accredited school travel plan.
Sutton Council is working in partnership with all the schools in the borough to encourage sustainable and active travel in order to provide pupils with regular exercise and the skills to travel safely and confidently. As a result, all but one of Sutton’s primary schools now have an accredited TfL’s STARS (Sustainable Travel: Active, Responsible, Safe) school travel plan.
The TfL accreditation programme promotes safe and more active travel behaviour across the borough. STARS helps to give pupils skills, knowledge and experience to make informed travel choices and equips young people with valuable life skills to travel actively, safely and responsibly. Since 2004, London STARS-accredited schools have seen an average 6 per cent decrease in car use as part of the school journey.
Out of the borough’s 71 primary, secondary, SEN and independent schools, Sutton currently has 18 Gold-accredited schools, 11 Silver and 24 Bronze, with five schools working towards accreditation. Gold- and Silver-accredited STARS schools see on average an 11 per cent decrease in car use, a 6 per cent increase in pupils walking and 2 per cent increase in cycling.
Cllr. Jill Whitehead
Carshalton Central Cllr Jill Whitehead, Chair of the Environment and Neighbourhoods Committee at Sutton Council, said:
“Statistics show that primary schools with an accredited travel plan are more likely to see such benefits as healthier, more productive and active pupils, improved attendance and academic success. There is also less traffic congestion and improved air quality around the school, and improved school grounds with better provision for bicycle and scooter storage.”
Other travel initiatives that Sutton schools have signed up to include the Living Streets’ Walk Once a Week (WoW) scheme, cycle and scooter training, car-free days and Air Quality Projects.
For more information about TfL’s STARS programme, visit https://stars.tfl.gov.uk/PublicPages/about.aspx