CONTENTS
1.
Introduction
1.1
1.2
School Background
Location
2.
Site Audit
2.1
2.2
Access Arrangements
Site Plan
3.
Policy and Objectives
3.1
3.2
3.3
School Travel Plan (STP)
Aims of a STP
Benefits of a STP
4.
4.1
4.2
Development of our School Travel Plan
Survey Results
Mapping the routes
5.
5.1
Audit of Key Routes to School
Action Plan
6.
Monitoring and Evaluating
7.
Distribution of the STP
1.INTRODUCTION
1.1 SCHOOL BACKGROUND
Name:
Strathallan Primary School
Address
Strathallan Drive
Kirkcaldy
KY2 5YP
Telephone
E-mail
01592 583434
strathallanps.enquiries@fife.gov.uk
School website
https://www.fifedirect.org.uk
Headteacher
Mrs Heather Logan
Strathallan Primary School was opened in January 2007. The
school lies to the west of Kirkcaldy and is part of the
Balwearie High School Cluster. The school is located within a
busy residential estate and is bordered by Raith Estate
containing woods and grass areas. The school has 13
classrooms from Primary 1 – Primary 7 and the school roll is
currently 358. The school roll has gradually been increasing
over the past few years. The nursery is annexed to the school
with morning and afternoon placements and the current roll is
118.
The school staff comprises forty-five individuals who work in a
variety of roles including head teacher, deputes, teachers,
nursery teacher, early years officers, auxiliary staff, office
staff, classroom assistants, kitchen staff, janitorial staff and
school crossing patrol staff. The staff members work a
variety of different hours to suit the school opening hours.
The school has community use available two nights a week and
on a Saturday morning. The school also has a breakfast club as
well as an after school club.
The children play an important part in our school community
and we are very proud to receive recognition of their hard
work. Strathallan Primary is an Eco School and was awarded its
Second Green Flag Award in 2013. The school is also
recognised as a Health Promoting School. We are now in the
fifth phase of the accreditation scheme. The school has also
achieved Level 1 of becoming a Rights Respecting School and
are currently working towards Level 2.
1.2 LOCATION
2. SITE AUDIT
2.1 ACCESS ARRANGEMENTS
The school is all on one level and accommodates thirteen
classrooms, four shared learning areas, dining hall, gym hall,
music room and library. The school also accommodates a
community lounge, parent’s room, sensory room, administration
rooms and medical room.
Pedestrian access to the school is via one entrance gate
situated off Strathallan Drive which has a 20 mph speed limit.
There is a zebra crossing to the right hand side outside the
main gate of the school which is operated by a crossing patrol
officer and to the left there is a bus lane drop off point for
children who use public transport to and from school. Children
are accompanied to the bus lane by members of staff. All
visitors report to the main entrance situated at the front of
the school.
Parents who drive their children to school drop them off on
Strathallan Drive. This area is heavily congested at the
start/end of the school and nursery day.
There is a car park within the school grounds which can hold 52
vehicles (including 4 disabled parking bays). Parents are
discouraged to access the car park to drop off pupils due to
child safety issues. A bike shed equipped for 30 bikes is
situated to the rear of the building.
The children have a large enclosed tarmacadam playground for
outside activities as well as garden areas where the children
grow flowers/food. There is also an enclosed grass area
utilised for gym activities.
2.2 SITE PLAN
The school provides nursery and primary school education to a
catchment area which is shown on the map. The catchment
area has a wide coverage ranging from Craigearn Avenue to
Raith Estate. (Addresses should be checked to ensure they
are in the catchment area of the school).
The catchment area contains the majority of pupils at the
school but there are other pupils who attend from outwith the
catchment area. The percentage of pupils who live out-with
the catchment is 41%. This figure is steadily rising as parents
opt for ‘choice of school’ legislation.
3. POLICY AND OBJECTIVES
The initiative behind the School Travel plan has been driven by
the Scottish Government. The (then) Scottish Executive
established a Scottish School Travel Advisory Group (SSTAG)
and brought together expertise from health, education and
transport areas. The group was to consider the issues and
identify practical means of more effectively managing school
travel, whilst encouraging as many children as possible to walk,
cycle or take public transport to school. There was concern
centrally that too many people were driving their children to
school unnecessarily.
3.1 SCHOOL TRAVEL PLAN
A School Travel Plan (STP) is a working document identifying
aims and objectives to reduce car use and promote more
sustainable transport options for the school journey. By
developing a STP, schools can identify current and preferred
travel modes and highlight specific travel/traffic issues
pertaining to that individual school. The travel plan not only
seeks solutions to specific problems, but also investigates ways
of improving the journey for everyone travelling to and from
school – pupils, parents, teachers and staff. The STP also aims
to encourage healthier ways of travelling to and from school,
specifically walking and, where appropriate, cycling.
The STP may link with other initiatives or programmes such as:
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Health Promoting Schools
Eco-Schools
Active Schools
Road Safety Education and Training
Development of Social skills and Personal Safety Skills
3.2 Aims of a School Travel Plan (STP)?
Too many people are driving unnecessarily to school – a major
cause of this is the fact that many parents have legitimate
concerns about their children’s safety on the journey to and
from school – fears about road safety, personal safety
(including bullying and abduction). Parents themselves may also
be under increasing pressure of time due to work commitments,
etc. As a result of these factors, the volume of traffic and
congestion increases and a vicious circle occurs. Due to the
increasing traffic, fears become more prominent and
consequently more pupils are discouraged from walking or
cycling what can be a relatively short distance to school.
Every school has different challenges associated with the
school journey and therefore requires different approaches
and/or measures to overcome these challenges. The routes to
school need to be safe and pleasant in order to encourage
pupils and their parents/carers to use them; and for those who
must use a car, consideration must be given to the creation
and/or promotion of a safe drop-off area for pupils. The
travel plan aims to address these issues.
3.3 Benefits of a School Travel Plan (STP)
The travel plan aims to benefit many people in many ways. The
beneficiaries can be described as: School, Pupils, Parents and
Staff, and the Local Community.
For the School, the benefits are:
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Less traffic outside the school gates
Improved safety and reduced pollution
Creation of safer walking routes to school
Justification for funding for action proposed in the plan
For the Pupils, the benefits are:
 Improved road and personal safety skills
 Improved health and fitness
 Increased local and travel awareness
For the Parents and Staff, the benefits are:
 Improved journey quality
 A potential saving of money
 Reduced concerns about safety
For the Community, the benefits are:
 Reduced pollution
 Increased community awareness
 Solution to local congestion problems through the
proposed actions
 Cleaner and safer environment
4. DEVELOPING OUR SCHOOL TRAVEL PLAN
Staff, pupils, parents and Fife Council representatives have
met to develop the STP. A number of investigations and
information gathering exercises have taken place including: Surveys – for pupils, parents and staff
 Mapping exercises – pupils mapping the routes taken to
and from school
 Audit of the school site
 Audit of the surrounding streets selected to be
designated ‘safer routes to school’.
 Awareness raising activities relating to the STP – both
within and out-with school.
4.1. SURVEY RESULTS
During the winter period 2013/2014 an online travel
questionnaire was hosted by Fife Council to gather information
about how and why pupils, parents and staff travel to and from
school and what actions could be addressed to encourage more
people to consider alternative (and more sustainable) travel
modes.
The parents results showed:The most popular method of travelling to and from school was
walking and the least popular was cycling.
When the parents were asked if they would allow their child to
cycle to school the majority of parents said no. Some parents
commented that they would allow their child to cycle to school
after they had received cycling training or if the weather was
suitable.
The parent’s survey also revealed that the most popular reason
for their child travelling to school by car was due to the
distance between home and school. On this point it should be
noted that 41% of children who attend Strathallan Primary
School live out-with the catchment area.
The staff results showed:Without exception the staff members travel to school by car.
This is due to the need for flexibility in working hours and the
distance staff travel to and from work.
Pupils travelling FROM school
29%
10%
2%
20%
Bus
Car
39%
Cycle
Park & Walk
Walk
The pupils results showed:41% of pupils who responded to the survey indicated that they
travelled to school by car and 39% travelled from school by
car.
32% of pupils who responded to the survey indicated that they
walked to school and 29% walked from school.
The results also showed that 30% of all pupils who live within
half a mile from school travelled by car to some extent.
When pupils were asked what would make their journey to
school safer they responded as per the graph below.
4.2 MAPPING THE ROUTES
A group of children from the Health Pupil Voice Group took
part in a mapping exercise where they identified the route
they travel to and from school. The results were collated and
from the information gathered, the main routes of travel were
identified.
5. AUDIT OF KEY ROUTES TO SCHOOL
A group of eight children, 1 teacher, 1 parent and two
representatives from transportation services, audited these
routes and identified needs, issues and opportunities relating
to safety, environment and health. The streets that were
audited were: Strathallan Drive
 Dunvegan Avenue
 Balmoral Drive
 Dunbar Place
There is one pedestrian entrance to the school off Strathallan
Drive and this is also the main drop off point for cars. There
is also a bus drop off point at the school entrance.
The beginning and end of the school/nursery day is a very busy
time for all users whether they be walking, cycling, using public
transport or in a car. Most parents, who drive to school, drop
their children off near to the school on Strathallan Drive but
the problem is not isolated to those dropping children off
outside the school grounds. Other drivers enter the school
grounds unnecessarily, use the entrance as a turning circle and
obstruct driveways and footpaths. This creates lots of
congestion making this area a dangerous area to be around.
Although there is a zebra crossing and a lollipop person who
helps our children cross the road safely there are still many
dangers pedestrians face. The school has a range of visitors on
a daily basis from parent helpers, specialist teachers, workmen,
representatives from Fife Council, NHS Fife and other
education services. These people all add to the volume of
traffic entering the curtilage of the School.
5.1 Action Plan
Objective
Agency Responsible
Anticipated
Timescale
Status
Request more enforcement of the ‘School Keep
Clear’ zig zags
Introduce an additional sign plate showing
waiting restrictions to the bus stand.
Request trees and bushes to be cut back on
school route
Request footway to be assessed for repair and
hedges to be cut back.
Transportation services
June 2014
ongoing
Transportation services
June 2014
ongoing
Transportation services
June 2014
ongoing
Transportation services
June 2014
ongoing
Request signing for park and walk areas for
lay-bys
Campaign to refresh banners at school gates
and leaflets to residents
Lock school gates
Contact school travel coordinator to request
assistance setting up park and walk
campaign/walking bus
Write a polite letter to residents from pupils
asking them to sweep the stones back into
their driveways
Transportation services
June 2014
ongoing
School
June 2014
ongoing
School
School
June 2014
June 2014
ongoing
ongoing
School
June2014
ongoing
Click to open School Audit Report
6. Monitoring and Evaluating
The Health co-ordinators along with pupils in the Pupil Voice
Group, will continue to monitor the progress of the Travel Plan
and up-date the Plan on an annual basis.
The school will continue to participate in initiatives that link
directly to the School Travel Plan such as:
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walk to school promotion days
hands up travel tally
Bikeability fun days
Road safety competitions
The school will publicise future travel planning work on the
school website and school newsletters.
7.DISTRIBUTION OF SCHOOL TRAVEL PLAN
The school travel plan will be available on the school website.
The plan will also be circulated via the local media. A paper
copy can be made available on request.