With advice and guidance from specialist East Sussex County Council school travel advisers, the five secondary and 12 primary schools completed an approved School Travel Plan (STP) this year.
The capital grants, typically amounting to around £5,000 for primary schools and £10,000 for secondary schools, are being awarded as part of a national scheme to encourage and assist the schools with physical improvements to their premises that can help them reach their STP objectives.
A further 40 of the county’s 200 schools are expected to have their STPs signed off by next March, qualifying them for the grant by spring 2006.
The five secondary schools are:
- Ringmer Community College
- Peacehaven Community School
- Uckfield Community Technology College
- Beacon Community College, Crowborough
- The Grove, Hastings.
The primary schools are:
- Forest Row CE Primary School
- St Thomas' CE Primary School, Groombridge
- Sedlescombe CE Primary School
- Northiam CE Primary School
- Maynards Green Community Primary School
- Ditchling (St Margaret's) CE Primary School
- Ocklyne Junior School and Stafford Junior School Eastbourne
- Southover CE Primary School and Wallands Community Primary School, Lewes
- Hamsey Community Primary School
- Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, Hastings.
An STP outlines a range of measures the school will take to improve the safety, healthiness and sustainability of journeys to their schools. It must show how, and by when, the school proposes to achieve its aims, how the school will make sure the plan is regularly monitored and updated, and give clear evidence that all interested parties such as local residents are being consulted.
All the successful schools have identified a need to encourage more walking, cycling and car-sharing on the ‘school run’. Cutting the number of cars in and around the school improves safety, and reduces congestion and pollution around the school gates. This benefits the wider community, local shops and businesses. Children who walk or cycle to school particularly enjoy the exercise and time to socialise, and teachers and parents often report that children’s behaviour improves when they exercise more.
The schools have expressed interest in spending the money on various initiatives including installing cycle racks, building safer pedestrian access points or sheltered parent waiting areas, or enhancing security or lighting on the school site.
Notes to editors
Schools which completed STPs in 2004 and received capital grants were:
- The Bishop Bell CE School, Eastbourne
- Little Common School, Bexhill on Sea
- Willingdon Community School, Lower Willingdon
- Iford and Kingston CE Primary School, Near Lewes.
Reference:
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