The average primary school is 1.6 miles, but up to a quarter of car traffic during morning rush hour is on the school run.
If more of these daily trips were taken by walking, cycling or other active means it would help reduce the levels of harmful emissions around our schools as well as improving road safety.
Our partners at Sustrans have lots more information on the benefits of a more active school run.
Walking and cycling all the way to school might not be something you’re able to do every day, but swapping just one or two journeys a week can really help to improve air quality and give young people a boost to their physical and mental health.
If walking the whole journey isn’t possible, you can always try parking a bit further away from the school gates instead and walking the last five minutes together.
Our partners at Sustrans have a free guide with lots of other helpful tips to help you make the school run more active.
Lots of support is available to help parents and teachers through our partner organisations.
Living Streets have a free Family Walk to School toolkit with advice on how to get the best from your active school run and campaign for better routes in your area.
Sustrans have detailed guidance for schools on promoting an active school run
Cycle training can help young people ride safely and with confidence and – with our partners at BikeRight! – we give free lessons to more than 8,000 under-16s every year.
Find out more about cycle safety lessons
Practical advice on getting the most out of walking and cycling to school.
Work out the best way to get to school in advance, finding quieter routes where possible.
Try the journey during the weekend and get to know the route when the roads are less busy.
Follow the Highway Code, encourage your child to be aware and think about road safety.
Cycle training is a great way to help young people develop their skills and learn the rules of the road.
