Cornholme J, I & N School

School Travel Plan

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INTRODUCTION

The Cornholme School Travel Plan aims to improve the health of its pupils, staff and the wider school community.

Encouraging more physical activity by walking to school will:-

-  improve the health and fitness of all,

-  reduce car dependency and

-  create a safer environment for pupils and the wider school community.

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DESCRIPTION OF THE SCHOOL

Cornholme School opened in 1899 and is still housed in a building typical of the Victorian era. Bordered on three sides by houses, and the railway on the fourth, the school has a very small outdoor play area and no room into which to expand. The school hall is used for PE lessons but is too small for classes of 30 children to participate in activities that require a lot of room. There are no quality facilities for team games such as football, rugby or cricket. The local recreation ground is within walking distance of the school but across the busy main road. It is badly drained and used as an exercise ground for the local dog population. The school’s football club, run by parents, meets there on Saturday mornings.

The number on roll is 210 and children aged from 3 to 11 years attend the school each day from 09.00 to 15.30. ‘Out of School Hours Clubs’ for Dance, Chess, Computing and Netball are held Monday to Thursday. Plans have been approved for the development of a village community centre on the site of the small, derelict garden area which is within the school grounds.

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PLAN OF SCHOOL AND SURROUNDING ROAD NETWORK

The school is on Greenfield Terrace in Cornholme. The local roads are all narrow and residential.

The school does not have a staff car park and staff and visitors have to park on the surrounding streets.

A School Crossing Patrol provides a crossing service on the nearby A646, Burnley Road.

A map of the immediate area around the school is attached at appendix 1.

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PLANNING APPLICATIONS

No new planning applications have been submitted at present.  The plan will need to be reviewed if any future plans are submitted.

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EXISTING TRAVEL PATTERNS

The children took part in a mapping project to find out where they lived, how they travelled to school, and to raise their awareness of school travel issues.

Recent questionnaire survey results (45% return) suggested a fairly equal split between families walking to / from school  (around 40%) and families who currently drive their children to / from school (around 43%).  A full analysis of the questionnaire results is detailed on the following pages.

TRAVEL TO SCHOOL QUESTIONNAIRE

The response rate for the return of the STP Questionnaire was 45% of the NOR

Percentages may not always total 100% due to rounding

and the fact that not all questions were answered by everybody who returned a questionnaire.

SECTION 1

Your postcode…………….. (your reply will remain anonymous and is required for mapping purposes only)

Your child/children’s age(s)    Child 1 ……   Child 2 ……   Child 3 ……

SECTION 2          (About your child/children’s journey to school)

How does your child/children usually travel to school?

Please ask your child, how they would like to travel to school?

On foot              27%

By car               21%

By bus              28%

By bicycle         20%

Other (please state)……. Aeroplane / Walk on the roof tops / Hovercraft / Jet Packs /

  Flue-powder (Harry Potter style).

What factors would influence you to allow any child over the age of 10 to cycle to and from school?

Secure storage facilities at school     Yes            48%                 No        9%         Unsure      2% 

Cycle training                                   Yes           48%                 No        6%         Unsure      4%

Cycle routes                                     Yes           48%                 No        5%         Unsure      3%

Other factors…… Marshalls needed along the route to keep the children safe.

                           Children would need to be supervised on leaving school.

If your child is under 10 years, would you be prepared to cycle with them to and from school?                   

Yes      10%                                          No        41%                                          Unsure  10%

SECTION 3       (to be completed by regular car users only)

Is the journey to school usually:

A journey only to take the children to school        45%

A combined journey, i.e. to work, nursery, etc      50%

Part of a car share arrangement                          5%

On your journey to school what sort of problems do you encounter?  Please give details of any areas which you think are unsafe.

LOCATION                                                                    PROBLEM

Todmorden Bus Station                               Troublesome High School children.

Outside School                                            Not everyone uses the voluntary one way system. (Should be

                                                                     made legal with signs). A clear one-way system past the school

                                                                     at start / end of day may help.

                                                                     Congestion caused by parking and  “drive by” parents.

                                                                     Pedestrians running across the road (not using Green Cross

                                                                     Code).  Children crossing without paying attention to traffic.

                                                                     People dropping children off in the road.

                                                                             Roads too narrow for the Yellow Bus, leading to blockages which causes dangerous manoeuvring by cars.

 Bus stop by school.                                      Inconsiderate driving and parking.

 A646 (Burnley Road)                                     Speeding traffic. Volume of traffic.

 Sutcliffe Furniture (A646)                                Wagons blocking the main road.

If suitable parking was available, would you be prepared to ‘Park and Stride’?

 i.e. park a short distance away from school and walk the rest of the way.

Yes      74%                  No                                Maybe  15%                  Not practical         3%

Would you consider being part of a car-sharing scheme?

Yes      35%                  No        29%                  Maybe  35%

What would persuade you to walk or park and stride to / from school?

Nice, safe route; no broken glass & vandalism.(2 similar responses)

Suitable parking that wouldn’t delay onward journey. (7)

More time! (6)

Not having to work! (2)

Well lit route.

SECTION 4       (please complete if your children usually walk or cycle)

How safe do you consider your route to be?   

Safe      44%                                          Fairly safe         34%                              Unsafe 22%      

Please give details of any areas on your route that you think are unsafe.

LOCATION                                                        PROBLEM

The main road.                                                   Cars & lorries drive too fast.

                                                                        Pavements are very narrow to cycle on!   

Cornholme.                                                        Unsavoury characters. Very unsafe to cycle due to narrow roads and no cycle lane.

Burnley Road (A646)                                          Traffic. Narrow road with huge lorries. Speeding traffic.

                                                                        Crossing any road is a potential hazard.  

Around the School                                             Congestion caused by parking and  “drive by” parents. Too many cars. Reversing cars. Speeding cars. Volume of traffic making crossing the road hard. Sight lines obscured by parked vehicles. Idiotic parking and reversing.

School - Bobbin Mill.                                          Dog dirt on pavement.

Lennox Road.                                                    Dog excrement all over the pavement.

SECTION 5       (about bus use, to be completed by everyone)

 

Does your child ever travel to and from school by bus?

 

School bus / Yellow bus Yes      18%                  No        78%                  Wouldn’t allow      3%

 

Public bus                       Yes      7%                 No        85%                  Wouldn’t allow       7%

 

 

 

If yes which service …(a) 592…(b) Yellow Bus……………

 

 

Does your child encounter any problems with this service?

 

(a)     Yes, he is intimidated by High School children.

(b)     Improving i.e. arrival time, now that teething problems have been overcome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If your child doesn’t travel on a bus to or from school what is the reason?    

 

Live in close proximity. (8 similar responses)

Healthier to walk or cycle. 

Other children have to be collected at the same time.

The buses come nowhere near where we live. (2)

Due to early start at work I have to drop child off at a babysitters.

Timing of arrival at school.

Car preference.

Work commitments requiring punctuality! (2)

Unreliable. (2)  Inconvenient. (2)  Expensive. (2)

Child not old enough. (2)

Too much waiting around.

We walk! (3)

Would need two buses – too expensive and lengthy a journey.

Sometimes I need to go into school to see the teacher. (3)

Goes to and from after school carer.

Car share.

Easier and cheaper to walk. Not value for money for four people.

 

 

 

 

SECTION 6       (about Walking Buses) 

 

A ‘Walking Bus’ is a group of children walking to / from school together with parent volunteers who take it in turns to escort them.  It follows a set route, stopping at agreed pick up points.  The council’s Road Safety department can help with the setting up of the scheme.

 

Would you be interested in your child/children using a Walking Bus?

 

Yes      14%                                          No        50%                                          Maybe  36%

 

 

 

Would you be willing to be a parent volunteer to help escort the Walking Bus?

 

Yes      0%                                           No        69%                                          Maybe  31%     

 

 

Please add any additional comments below

“The cleanliness of the main pavement is a big concern. There is a lot of dog-mess (health risk), litter and - under the railway bridge - bird droppings, when wet, create a slipping risk”.

“I consider it my responsibility to get my child to school safely. Letting strangers do the Walking Bus goes against all I have taught my son on going with strangers”.

“The yellow bus and walking bus are excellent initiatives but cycling without an off-road cycle route is a big no, no”!

“The walking bus is an excellent idea, especially for those with pre-school children. It would make mornings easier and help to avoid excessive congestion outside school. Promoting children to exercise is excellent”.

“Maybe there should be some sort of set speed limit or speed bumps for the road in front of school. Some parents are still not using the voluntary one-way system”.

HANDS UP SURVEY 

The 2004 Hands Up Survey held in October showed the following Travel Patterns: -

STAFF TRAVEL

The school has 30 Staff - 10 Teaching Staff, 20 Support Staff and 4 Catering Staff. They travel to school in the following way: 

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How children travel to school 

(Source: 2004  Hands Up Survey results)

How children would like to travel to school

(Source: section 2 of this questionnaire)

SUMMARY OF TRAFFIC AND ROAD SAFETY PROBLEMS

The school is situated just by the busy A646, which passes through a steep-sided narrow valley.

The pavements are narrow and predominantly on one side of the carriageway only.

The River Calder borders (or is in culverts beneath) the road and the Victorian terraced housing stock is both of poor quality and built up to the roadside. The majority of the school’s pupils live within 1 mile of the school yet many come to school by car.

Those who walk do so, in the main, accompanied by their parents due to age and/or fears of personal safety.

Cycling to school along this stretch of road is considered too dangerous to encourage and there are no alternative routes to use as a cycle-way.

There is a half-hourly bus service and a bus stop close to the school. Some pupils use this as an alternative to walking when the weather conditions are bad.

The Yellow Bus Scheme has just started to serve the school and numbers using it continue to rise weekly. Parents are encouraged to leave room for the bus to park and road markings to formalise this are expected in the near future.

The majority of staff members drive to school on a ‘car plus driver only’ basis and park on the street outside school as there are no dedicated parking areas on school grounds or on surrounding streets.

Parents are encouraged to use an unofficial ‘one-way’ system through surrounding streets to reduce congestion and maximise safety when dropping off / collecting children.

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TRAVEL INFORMATION

There are no key cycle/pedestrian routes to the school.

There is no provision for pedestrians/cyclists - eg. lockers./cycle storage. The roads and terrain around the school do not readily lend themselves to safe cycling.

A Yellow School Bus service has recently been introduced serving Todmorden schools and pupils who live beyond walking distance are encouraged to use this service. Currently, the service  brings 15/20 children to school each day and takes 15/20 home. It operates along the following route:-

To School: - Commencing with 1^st pick up on Halifax Road, Todmorden at 08.30h then travelling via A646 to arrive at school by 09.00h.

From School: - The same route in reverse, leaving school at 15.40h

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SCHOOL TRAVEL / ROAD SAFETY PRACTICE AND POLICIES

Year 5 and Year 6 pupils are encouraged to undertake Cycling Proficiency training if they have bicycles.

Calderdale Road Safety Unit’s ‘Be Safe Be Seen Display’ is used in school annually.

Road Safety shows are given to younger children each year.

Role-play equipment / costumes are loaned to the school for topic work each year.

Participation in ‘Walk to School Week’ is encouraged.

The school’s policy on Educational Visits/Travel to Off-Site Activities is attached at appendix 2.

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OBJECTIVES

• To improve the health of pupils, staff and the wider school community

• To increase safety on the journey to and from school for all.

• To improve the local environment by the reduction of car usage.

• To improve relations with the school’s neighbours by reducing traffic congestion.

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TARGETS

• To promote alternatives to the car for school journeys.

• To reduce the incidence of dangerous parking around the school.

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MEASURES AND INITIATIVES

Education and training

Annual participation in pedestrian and cyclist training.

Participation in CMBC’s Junior Road Safety Officer scheme.

Travel related curriculum and project work.

Using the selection of resources that are available free and on loan to schools via the Road Safety Unit.

Initiatives

Set up a Walking Bus.

Identify a local parking facility to be used for a “Park and Stride” scheme.

Promote car sharing for both parents/pupils and staff.

Information and promotion

Participation in awareness raising events such as School Walking Week in October.

Display bus timetables in the school entrance.

Provide information on walking, cycling and public transport via the school prospectus, and at parent evenings.

Issue safe parking guidelines to parents (examples are available on request).

Infrastructure and facilities

To facilitate a desired increase in walking, it is proposed to construct Waiting Shelters on the school site for:-

·        Parents / helpers/children to assemble in, prior to leaving school premises via a walking bus scheme.

·        Parents to wait for children in, having left cars at ‘Park and Stride’ sites.

·        Parents / children to gather in, prior to going to bus stop due to bus timetables.

Policy

The following actions and policies are intended to reduce parking outside the school:-

Promote car sharing amongst staff

Install clear signs which detail alternative car parking sites near school.

Promote pupil use of Walking Bus, Yellow Bus and “Park and Stride” schemes.

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MONITORING AND EVALUATING THE PLAN

Arrange to monitor and review the progress of the school travel plan at regular intervals.

Involve the School Council.

Provide parents and students with regular updates on the school travel plan using the most appropriate forms of communication.

Collect photographic evidence if appropriate.

Participate in the annual Yorkshire and Humberside school travel survey which takes place every October. 

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SCHOOL TRAVEL PLAN GRANT

The School would like to spend their School Travel Plan Grant on:-

1.Proposal

2.Action

3.Timescale

4.Outcome

5.Evaluation

Set up a Walking Bus

1 Survey Parents

2 Identify a suitable route and meet with interested Parents

Autumn Term 2005

AutumnTerm 2005

1 To reduce congestion around the school entrance

2. To increase opportunities for pupils to exercise

Visible reduction in the numberof parent cars around the school entrance

Monitor via the ‘Hands Up’ Survey

Set up a “park and stride” scheme

1.Locate an appropriate parking area

2.Obtain permisssion from the owners for parents to use the facility

3.Promote the alternative parking area to the parents using appropriate means

Summer  Term 2005

1.To reduce congestion around the school entrance

2. To increase opportunities for pupils to exercise

Visible reduction in the number of parent cars around the school entrance

Monitor via the ‘Hands Up’ Survey

Increase usage of the Yellow bus

Publicise the Yellow bus Scheme to existing and new parents.

Ongoing

Increased usage of the Yellowl bus. More independent travel for pupils

Increased use of Yellow bus

Reduce incidents of dangerous parking around the school to improve pupil safety

Issue parking Guidelines to parents regularly

Ongoing

Improve pupil safety

Improve the local environment for residents and other road users

Monitor the behaviour of drivers at school start/finish times