Walking Buses
Walking Bus, Hawkes Farm Primary, Hailsham
What is a Walking Bus?
A Walking Bus is the name given to a line of children walking to school together in the morning, along an approved route.
Children are supervised and escorted by at least two trained, police-checked volunteer adults acting as 'driver' and 'conductor'. Pre-registered children join the 'bus' at set places along the way.
Walking Bus benefits
A Walking Bus contributes to:
- improved safety around the school gates and a reduction of car traffic and pollution
- better health and fitness for children
- development of children’s traffic awareness and independence
- parents/carers and children working together and making new friends
- children arriving at school on time
- less anxiety about 'stranger danger' or bullying on the way to school
- better community relations.
It can free parents from the time and stress of taking their children to school by car.
Some routes include a 'Park and Stride' – a safe, authorised place where parents who are unable to walk their children to school may drop them off, to join the bus.
Starting a Walking Bus at your school
Walking Buses can be set up by schools, parents, carers or Governors, with support from our Traffic and Safety team.
When you know there is interest in starting a Walking Bus, you can get an overview and checklist of the complete process, using our information sheet 10 Steps to a Walking Bus.
We strongly recommend that having read the overview and checklist, you invite a member of the STP team to run a parent meeting for you at the school. Download a template letter from the Walking Bus kit (other useful resources).
Dress up as a Walking Bus!
Our Walking Bus costume is available free on loan to East Sussex schools to promote Walking Buses or other sustainable travel initiatives. For details, contact the School Travel Plan team.
Resources to help you
To help you start up, maintain and promote your Walking Bus – and to keep it working well,.see our list of essential and useful templates and other documents.
Download:
We also provide:
- basic road safety training on procedures for walking in a group and crossing roads
- risk assessments
- liability insurance.
Our team shares good ideas and best practice from other Walking Buses in East Sussex and elsewhere.
Please note that for insurance reasons East Sussex County Council only supports morning Walking Buses.
Walking Buses are subject to regular checks by members of our STP and Road Safety teams. We also require Walking Bus organisers and Heads to complete an annual record check to confirm that buses continue to operate according to the rules.
Contact us
For further information and advice about Walking Buses, contact the School Travel Plan team.
