FAQs
- Improving street safety, outside of the school gates at the start and end of the school day
- Increasing levels of physical activity amongst pupils, along with increasing independence and attention in the classroom
- Reducing traffic and parking pressures outside of schools
- Enabling easier walking, wheeling, scooting and cycling to and from school
- Improving air quality outside of the school gate at drop-off and pick-up
- Creating a more pleasant environment for communities
- Burton Fields School, Burton upon Trent
- Horninglow Primary School, Burton upon Trent
- St Thomas CofE Primary Academy, Kidsgrove
What are School Streets?
A School Street is a road – or section of road – around a school gate that has temporary timed restrictions to motor vehicles for around 30-60 minutes at drop-off and pick-up times (except weekends and holidays).
Signs at either end of the School Street inform people of the timings.
Motor vehicles cannot use the road during School Street times, unless they have been granted an exemption. Emergency vehicles and blue badge holders are allowed, along with residents who have access with permits.
Where did School Streets come from?
They were first introduced and trialed in the UK by East Lothian Council and City of Edinburgh Council between 2012 and 2016. During the COVID-19 pandemic, more funding was given to their implementation and now there are hundreds of School Streets across the UK.
What is happening in Staffordshire?
Where School Streets exist, they have created a calmer, safer, and healthier environment, and are appreciated by residents, businesses, school staff and parents/guardians and children.
They have many benefits, including:
Which schools are involved?
All schools across the county have been reviewed and prioritised, based on their geographical area, street layout, school type, traffic levels and road safety record. Schools have been further prioritised, based on their level of engagement in active school travel education programmes as part of their School Travel Plan. Councillor support has then been sought and schools asked if they were interested in participating.
Schools in the initial trial are:
Which streets are School Streets and at what times are they active?
The times that the School Streets are active vary between 30-60 minutes, depending on the schools’ start and finish times. Timings can change between the one-day trial, and pilot and can be changed during the first 6 months of the pilot if needed to better suit. This can also be done for the streets included in the School Street which are the streets either past the signs if there is one access point or the area between signs if there are multiple access points.
How will the School Street be enforced?
Driving in an active School Street is a violation of the Traffic Regulation Order and is a moving traffic offence. Staffordshire Police are able to issue a warning letter or fixed penalty fine to anyone driving in an active School Street without permission. Any vehicles parked in an active School Street cannot be moved during the active period, unless they have a permit.
Who can drive in an active School Street?
Residents will have access to their properties during an active School Street. Other exemptions include blue badge holders, emergency services, refuse collectors and healthcare workers who need to access resident properties to provide healthcare.
We are working with participating schools to identify individuals who need to drive to the school to ensure that they do so outside of the times that the School Street is active. Where there are valid reasons why this is not possible, these individuals may be issued a permit.
What if I have to drive a child to school?
We understand that some parents/guardians need to drive their children to school. We kindly ask these parents/guardians to park (legally) nearby (5-10minute walk or wheel away from the school gate) and walk or wheel with their child the last part of the journey. We are working with schools to identify suitable Park & Stride(External link) site(s) or develop Walking Buses.