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School travel plans (stp).

School travel plans help to improve the health and well-being of pupils and staff, and reduce pollution and congestion around schools, as well as saving money for parents and the school community.

STARS accreditation

STARS (sustainable travel, active, responsible, safe) is Transport for London’s (TfL) school travel plan accreditation scheme for London schools and nurseries. STARS inspires young londoners to travel to school sustainably, actively, responsibly and safely by championing walking, scooting and cycling.

• Unlock additional funding grants and school activities from TfL and Ealing Council
• Provide evidence for Ofsted of promoting and achieving active travel
• Count towards healthy schools silver and gold awards
• Allow Ealing Council to work strategically to address traffic issues around your school
• Comply with planning conditions for schools (where applicable)
• Provide networking opportunities with other schools and invitations to award events.

The STARS accreditation comes as bronze, silver and gold awards and provides an on-line travel plan. The travel plan will also help towards keeping pupils safe, improving punctuality and attendance, reducing child obesity and improving health and well-being. Schools can include sustainability within the curriculum, providing a supportive and caring school environment.

All Ealing schools have been set up on the STARS website . The STARS champion can register to access their school’s profile.

You can see your school's level on 2020-21 STARS accreditation list (pdf)

Want to boost your accreditation level?

TfL have put together some guides to help you do this. Each one lists a range of different activities that can be done as part of each event and how you go about them. Doing extra activities during events all count as additional stories and will boost you towards your school’s next accreditation.

• STARS and active travel booklist
• STARS and Big Walk and Wheel
• STARS and bike week
• STARs and clean air day
• STARS and cycle to work day
• STARS and eco schools
• STARS and healthy schools London
• STARS and London climate action week
• STARS and national walking month
• STARS and road safety
• STARS and school streets
• STARS and walk to school week
• STARS and walk to work day
• STARS and world environment day

Already have Healthy Schools accreditation? Find out where Healthy Schools crosses over with STARS (pdf)

STARS 1:1 Sessions

We advise school travel champions to book a 1:1 STARS surgery every half term. These sessions are for champions to get help and advice from the school travel team on anything STARS related or your work on school travel planning. If you are new to STARS or just want to find out more about it and how to become accredited, you can also book a 1:1 surgery with the team.

Book an appointment

To book an appointment please email us ( [email protected] ) 3 dates and times which are convenient for you, for example, before or after school, lunch time or during your PPA time. We will do our very best to make sure we can book one of these in.

All we ask is that the sessions do not begin before 8.30am or finish later than 5pm. Each session will usually run for up to 30 minutes. If you need more than one session, we are happy to accommodate this too. So, why not book your STARS 1-1 Surgery today.

Home learning resources for teachers and parents

STARS at home activities primary schools (pdf)

STARS at home activities high schools (pdf)

STARS at home activities special schools (pdf)

Planning applications

Planning applications for school expansions or rebuilding usually require an up to date travel plan which clearly sets out how the school will promote safe and sustainable travel to the school site and what measures will be taken to mitigate against the possible increased levels of car trips/congestion that the expansion might cause.

Developers and schools must review the STP and the planning process guidance and use the interim STP template to produce the travel plan for their planning application available on the Ealing Council website . For more information contact us at the school travel team.

School travel calendar

School travel calendar events related to sustainable travel (pdf) View calendar of school events related to sustainable travel for 2023/24

School Travel for Life activity planner (pdf) We encourage schools to plan ahead to ensure a smooth accreditation process. Please use this planner or one of your own. Word copies can be sent to you by emailing us at [email protected] . Alternatively, you can save this pdf onto your device, open Word, then open the pdf document in Word to make it editable.

Active Travel booklist (pdf) Encouraging active travel can happen as easily as sharing books with children with exciting travel tales and active travel adventures. We would love you to share the Active Travel book list with your school community, during the school year, but particularly around World Book Day each year. Perhaps you could even have a selection of these books in your class libraries/school library for children to enjoy.

Why not showcase the books in assembly, ask your Travel Ambassadors to peer read with the younger children and discuss the stories and lessons in the books. These are ways of not only engaging the children but working towards your Travel for Life accreditation.

If you know of some books that are not included, please get in touch on [email protected] so that we can add them for future updates.

Big Walk and Wheel toolkit (pdf) The Big Walk and Wheel is the UK’s biggest inter-school cycling, walking, wheeling and scooting competition and is celebrating its 15th year.

Register to be in with a chance of not only winning some great prizes but also joining hundreds of other schools including those in Ealing in promoting active travel on the school journey.

From 11 - 22 March 2024 join in the fun to see the longer term impact on your active travel numbers.

Children will be able to participate as long as they use active travel for the school journey – this includes walking, wheeling (wheelchair users, cycling, scooting) and those who use Park and Stride areas. There is an Ealing league table and the school travel team will be giving daily updates on X @EalingSTARS during the competition to spur you along.

Check out the Big Walk and Wheel toolkit above for some great ideas on how to promote it and make it the best year ever. We look forward to seeing how well each Ealing school does.

Road safety week 19 - 25 November 2023 Road Safety Week is the UK’s biggest road safety event every November, organised by ‘Brake’, a national road safety charity. The theme of Road Safety Week 2022 is ’Safe roads for all', which brings together communities and professionals to promote everyone’s right to make safe and healthy journeys on safe roads.

Here is our downloadable Road Safety Week guide 2023 (pdf) with supporting information, resources and ideas to help schools raise awareness for road safety.

This year we have an assembly schools can use to encourage children to Be Bright, Be Seen. It will help schools to raise awareness of the importance of being visible as the days and evenings get darker.

Email [email protected] if you would like the assembly powerpoint with the teachers notes.

Workshop play script A new workshop-play script, linked to active travel, road safety and air quality. A series of 6 drama improvisation workshops that fit together to form a play, performed by pupils to parents and the rest of the school. This raises awareness of environmental and congestion issues associated with car use, in particular parent parking and supports promotion of walking and cycling. It’s perfect for schools who want to target a specific class or year group. We have both PDF and hard copies that schools can borrow. Please contact us for more information.

Health Fair game (pdf) We have produced this downloadable game for schools to give to Junior Travel Ambassadors (JTAs) to use during their health fairs. It’s a great way to engage families with the idea of active travel!

Terri the Tiger (pdf) Sadly, schools cannot hire Terri the Tiger, our sustainable travel mascot, at the moment! We will let you know when it is safe for him to return to schools. Contact us for more information and to book.

Ealing's junior travel ambassador (JTA) annual programme Programme for 2022/23

Walking and cycling initiatives Walk and cycle to school initiatives and resources.

Active travel maps Maps to promote walking to school

Tackling parent parking issues Organising a perfect parking campaign.

Useful links Websites and resources to help with your STP.

School travel plan support can be provided by: Nicky Batkin Senior school travel adviser Tel: 020 8825 9648 Email: [email protected]

Services for children

• Raising SEN support expectations
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• Special school and ARP and SEN unit provision in Ealing
• SEN وإدراج مقاطع الفيديو باللغة البنجابية
• સેન અને પંજાબીમાં વિડિઓઝનો સમાવેશ કરે છે
• SEN ਅਤੇ ਵੀਡੀਓ ਨੂੰ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼ਾਮਲ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ
• SEN மற்றும் பஞ்சாபியில் வீடியோக்களை சேர்க்கிறது
• SEN bulletin April 2024
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• School safe scheme
• Climate change and COP26
• Ealing’s junior travel ambassador (JTA)
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Blog The Education Hub

https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2023/11/03/free-school-transport-explained-eligible-free-travel/

Free school transport explained: From who’s eligible to how it works

When choosing which schools to apply for, it is important to consider how your child will get there. Some children are eligible for free travel, but this isn’t the case for everyone.

Most parents should expect to be responsible for making arrangements for their child to get to and from school.

Here, we explain everything you need to know about free school travel, from who’s eligible to how it works.

Is my child eligible for free school travel?

We set the national eligibility criteria for free travel to school and your local authority is responsible for deciding whether your child meets these criteria.

Your child is eligible if they are of compulsory school age , go to their nearest suitable school and one of the following applies:

• they are under 8 and the school is more than 2 miles away
• they are 8 or over and the school is more than 3 miles away
• they wouldn’t be able to walk there safely, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian
• they wouldn’t be able walk there because of their special educational needs, disability or a mobility problem, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian.

If the local authority decides your child would be able to walk to school if they were accompanied, the general expectation is that you will accompany them, or make other suitable arrangements. A child will not normally be eligible for free travel solely because of their parent’s work commitments or caring responsibilities.

Your child may also be entitled to free transport if you have a low family income and they are entitled to free school meals or you get the maximum Working Tax Credit and one of the following applies:

• they are aged 8 to 11, go to their nearest suitable school and it’s at least 2 miles away
• they are aged 11 to 16 and go to a school 2 to 6 miles away - if it’s one of their 3 nearest suitable schools
• they are aged 11 to 16 and go to a school 2 to 15 miles away - if it’s one you chose because of your religion or belief.

If your child doesn't meet the criteria above, you are responsible for arranging their travel to and from school. Some local authorities arrange travel for children who don’t meet the eligibility criteria, although they are not required to. Where they choose to do so, they may charge you for the cost of it.

You can find your local authority’s school travel policy through our postcode search on Gov.uk .

What is a ‘suitable’ school?

A suitable school is one that provides education appropriate to the child’s age, ability, aptitude, and any special educational needs they may have.

If your child has an Education, Health and Care plan, the school named in their plan will usually be considered their nearest suitable school for travel purposes.

What do I need to do if I think my child is eligible?

You should check your local authority website to see the school travel policy and find out how to apply.

If your child is eligible for free school travel, your local authority will make suitable travel arrangements.  For example, they might provide your child with a pass for free travel on public transport or arrange a dedicated school bus or taxi. They may expect your child to walk to a suitable pick-up point if they are able to.

My child has a special educational need or disability, what does this mean for them?

Your local authority will assess whether your child meets the eligibility criteria. They may ask for information to help them decide whether your child would be able to walk to school.

Your child doesn't need to have an Education, Health and Care plan to be eligible but having one doesn’t make your child automatically eligible.

If your child is eligible, your local authority will make suitable travel arrangements for them, taking into account their needs. It may often be the case that they share a vehicle with other children.

If they have a medical condition which may affect them on the journey, your local authority will decide what arrangements they need to make to manage this.

Your local authority may offer you a personal travel budget or mileage allowance to take your child to school yourself. Some parents prefer this, but you don’t have to accept it if you don’t want to. If you don’t accept it, the local authority will need to arrange your child’s free travel.

As your child gets older, your local authority may offer them the opportunity to take part in independent travel training.

The authority will pay for this and your child will be supported, by a trainer, to learn how to travel to school independently, for example on public transport.

Learning to travel independently is an important part of preparing a child to lead a fulfilling and active adult life. If you want to know more about independent travel training, you should contact your local authority.

What if my child spends time at more than one address?

It’s not normally possible to provide eligible children with travel to and from more than one address, for example if their parents don’t live together. Local authorities usually only arrange travel to and from a child’s main place of residence.

Your local authority’s school travel policy will explain how it decides which address they will arrange travel to.

Can I appeal the local authority’s decision?

Yes. There is an appeals process, published on the local authority’s website, for parents to follow should they want to challenge the decision about their child’s home to school travel.

If you’re not happy with the way the local authority conducts your appeal, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman may be able to investigate. Further information can be found on the LGO website .

What about young people aged 16-25?

When a young person begins post-16 education or training, the level of school travel support changes. It is for the local authority to decide the level of support they offer and these arrangements don’t have to include free or subsidised travel. More information can be found on Gov.uk .

You may also be interested in:

• Before and after school childcare: Everything you need to know about wraparound care
• Sex education: What is RSHE and can parents access curriculum materials?
• Secondary school applications deadline 2023: How and where to apply

Tags: Free school transport , free transport to school , school transport , School transport for secondary schools , School travel

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Free school transport

Children of compulsory school age qualify for free school transport if they go to their nearest suitable school and any of the following apply:

• the school is more than 2 miles away and the child is under 8
• the school is more than 3 miles away and the child is 8 or over
• there’s no safe walking route between their home and school
• they cannot walk there because of their special educational needs or disabilities or a mobility problem

If your child does not qualify for free school transport for these reasons, they may still qualify if you have a low family income.

Find out more about applying for free school transport from your local council.

If your child is 16 or over and still in education, ask your local council if they offer any help with transport.

If you have a low family income

If your child does not qualify for free school transport for another reason, they may be eligible if either:

• they are entitled to free school meals
• you get the maximum Working Tax Credit

Your child will get free school transport if they’re:

• aged 8 to 11, go to their nearest school and it’s at least 2 miles away
• aged 11 to 16 and go to a school 2 to 6 miles away - if it’s one of their 3 nearest suitable schools
• aged 11 to 16 and go to a school 2 to 15 miles away - if it’s one you chose because of your religion or belief

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Help with school travel costs

If your child is in full-time education and is under 18, they may qualify for help with the cost of travelling to school.

Find out what help is available, who it is for and how to get it.

Transport for London’s free travel pass

Transport for London (TfL) offers help with travel for children up to 18 years old. To find out what free travel is available for your child, go to the TfL website .  

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School travel support

Have your say on the Post-16 transport policy statement for September 2023 – this sets out the travel support available for young people of sixth form age to attend education or training from September 2023. Complete the survey and let us know what you think about our statement or contact us on 020 7364 4435. 

Travel assistance for children and young people in school and sixth form/college

Transport for London (TfL) operates a scheme of free and/or discounted travel for children under the age of 18 in full-time education in the following table:

Please visit Free and discounted travel - Transport for London (tfl.gov.uk) or call the Oyster helpline on 0343 222 1234 for further information and advice on concessions and how to apply for a Zip card.

The Council expects residents to make use of concessions offered by TfL. If you require support that is not met by free public transport or other alternatives, you can make an application to Pupil Services for travel assistance.

Travel assistance for children in primary and secondary school

Who is eligible.

The council has a duty to make travel arrangements as considered necessary in order to facilitate the school attendance of an ‘eligible’ [1]  child. 

The child must be registered at a ‘qualifying school’ [2] .

 Eligible children are those of compulsory school age (5-16) who meet the following criteria:

1. Statutory walking distance - children who are attending a school that is beyond two miles for a pupil under the age of 8 or three miles for children ages 8 or over

2. Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or mobility problem - children who cannot reasonably be expected to walk to school because of their mobility problems or because of associated health and safety issues related to SEND, including temporary medical conditions. If your child has an education, health or care plan (EHCP) you should contact the SEN team to find out more about school travel for children with SEND.

Tel: 020 7364 5000 - Email  [email protected]

3. Unsafe route - children who cannot be reasonably be expected to walk to school because of the nature of the route

4. Extended rights eligibility - children entitled to free school meals or those whose parents are in receipt of their maximum level of Working Tax Credit and:

• the school is beyond two miles (for children over the age of 8 and under 11)
• the school is between2 and 6 miles (if aged 11-16 and there are no suitable nearer schools)
• The school is between 2 and 15 miles and is the nearest preferred on the grounds of religion or belief (aged 11-16)

We will also consider whether there are any medical reasons affecting the parent/carer's ability to accompany the child to and from school along a walking route which can be considered safe.

Children will usually only be eligible for travel assistance if the council cannot offer a place at a suitable alternative school. Therefore please ensure that you have made an application to your local schools before applying for travel assistance.

[1] Schedule 35B of the Education Act 1996, as inserted by Part 6 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 (the EIA 2006)

[2] Section 508B(10) of the Education Act 1996, as inserted by Part 6 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 (the EIA 2006).

Travel assistance for students in further education (16-18+ year olds)

The council also provides travel assistance to enable young people (over 16) in further education to access and attend the education and training of their choice.

Young people can apply for travel assistance if they meet the following criteria: 

• are a resident of Tower Hamlets
• are aged 16-18 or a 'continuing learner' who started their course before their 19th birthday
• are attending a full-time course in a maintained school sixth form/college or other establishment. Assistance is not provided to students attending private (independent) fee paying establishments
• are attending the nearest maintained establishment at which the course, or the majority of the course is offered (i.e. at least 50% of the course). If the young person is attending a specialist course, this must be one that ends with a nationally recognised vocational qualification such as BTEC or NVQ
• the establishment is over three miles from the young person’s home address
• their parents’ taxable income was £18,210 or less in the last financial year

If the young person has special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) and an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) you may be eligible for support from the SEN team (contact details above).

Additional information

• It can take up to 30 days for your application to be processed.
• You must be resident in Tower Hamlets to apply for travel assistance and be able to provide us with proof of your address i.e. recent Council Tax bill.
• You must be registered at the 'qualifying school', learning or training provider and provide proof of registration if necessary
• You should provide all the necessary supporting information with your application. Any delays or failure to provide this information will affect the outcome of your application
• Please refer to the application form and guidance notes for further details (See below).

Read the council’s travel assistance policy .

How do I apply?

You can download the form or contact Pupil Services on 020 7364 5006 for a hard copy.

Please view the guidance notes  before completing the application. 

If you need any support or advice, contact Pupil Services using the details below.

Making a decision

When processing your application the council will consider the most suitable form of travel assistance taking into account the age and needs of the child, the distance from home to school and any other relevant factors. You will receive a letter informing you of the outcome of your application.

If your application is refused, then you have a right of appeal against the decision and you will be advised of this in your letter.

Advice on travel support for young students in further education

The transport policy statement provides information and advice for young people in Year 11-13 and their parents/carers about the travel arrangements and support available locally. It outlines who is eligible for support, how and when to apply for support as well as information for young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities.   

Download the Transport Policy Statement .

Contact details for Travel Assistance and Elective Home Education:

• Ali Akbar – Travel Assistance officer Tel: 020 7364 4435
• Karen O’ Brien – Lead officer for Children Missing Education (CME) and Elective Home Education (EHE) Tel: 020 7364 3439
• Rehanaz Begum – Operations Manager for CME, EHE and Scholars travel Tel: 020 7364 1427 (available Tuesday to Thursday)

Related services

• Home schooling
• School clothing grants
• Free school meals

Group and School bookings on the Thames

Save 10% on your boat tickets when you travel in a group of 10 or more

Do something different, explore London by river

Uber Boat by Thames Clippers offers you the best way to travel through London and enjoy the city’s landmarks. Watch out for that Instagram shot!

The River Bus stops at 24 piers across the capital linking key locations such as the London Eye, Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge and Tower of London, Greenwich and North Greenwich for The O2 and Icon Outlet. River Roamer tickets are the perfect way to explore all that London has to offer, allowing you to hop-on and hop-off all day. On top of fantastic views you will also get a guaranteed seat, a café bar, an outdoor back deck and toilets! Find out more about the onboard experience .

If travelling with kids, ask for our free kids activity guide “ Learning the Ropes ” and keep them entertained.

Check our route map

10% group discount

Booking your group or school travel with us is an easy process. Groups of 10 people or more receive a 10% discount off our online fare on Single and Return tickets as well as on River Roamers for unlimited all-day travel. Just book in advance via our form to avoid disappointments.

⚠ Please be aware that children 4 or under travel for free but for groups of 10 or more (including schools) free travel for children under 4 years old is limited to a maximum of two children per adult ticket holder.

Group fare for River Roamer tickets (unlimited all day travel)

Group fare for Single journeys

*A child is 5-15 years old. Students aged 16+ should select the adult fare when completing the booking form.

Ready to book?

Please send your request at least 5 working days before your desired travel date. To save time check our timetable and service alerts page .

• Complete the Group booking form
• Our customer service team will contact you to take payment
• Receive a group ticket. Simply print it and show it to a member of staff

Your ticket is valid at any time for the day of the booking, but boarding on sailings are available on a first come, first served basis. Please read terms and conditions below.

Here are three of our most popular itineraries

North Greenwich Pier - Tower Pier (Central & East) Greenwich Pier - London Eye Pier (Central & East) Embankment Pier - North Greenwich Pier (Central & East) Westminster Pier - Canary Wharf Pier (Central)

"An amazing experience on the River Bus today. I took my reception year group and our experience was fantastic. We were even given some colouring books."

Park and Glide for coaches

Receive free coach parking at The O2 when you pre-book Single, Return or River Roamer tickets with Uber Boat by Thames Clippers. Drop passengers off at key central London piers and securely park the coach at The O2 while your group enjoys their day out in London.

Check out where in London you can drop off your passengers .

The offer is available for a minimum of 20 passengers per coach, or 15 passengers per minibus. Parking is available all day with pre-booked River Roamer tickets and for up to 6 hours with pre-booked single or return tickets.

Check how to get to The O2

Become a partner

Do you want to work with us? As a travel trade partner, you will be able to sell our products, including joint tickets, and earn commission. Partner with us, get our travel trade rates and access to our backend system to make bookings with live availability.

Contact [email protected] and become a partner.

Terms and conditions

• Children 4 or under travel for free but for groups (of 10 or more) free travel for children under 4 years old is limited to a maximum of two children per adult ticket holder. This also applies to school groups.
• A child is 5 to 15 years old. Students aged 16+ should select the adult fare when completing the booking form.
• We are unable to offer group discounts on River Bus Express for events at The O2, any of our joint tickets with London attractions or Family River Roamer tickets.
• The majority of our vessels hold up to 220 passengers. We are not able to book seats on a particular sailing as seating is done on a first come, first served basis.
• The voucher enables the group to travel at any time during the day.
• Tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable, unless given 72 hours' notice.
• We cannot guarantee that requests sent less than 5 working days before your desired travel date will be processed on time.

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Over 50,000 people benefit from TfL’s ‘Family and friends’ travel perks – you could too

Sick of topping up your Oyster card but got a bud that drives a bus? TfL could cut your travel costs down to zero

Do you regularly travel to Tooting? Are you constantly commuting to Camden? Well, we could have some good news for you.

Our ol’ pal and Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has recently revealed that nominated friends and family members of TfL workers could get free travel.

Figures provided by the Mayor’s office revealed that 54,156 people were using ‘nominee passes’ as of March 2023. These passes grant access to all TfL, tube, bus, Overground services and even a small number of national rail services, all for free! Yep, zilch, zero!

These numbers include more than 19,000 people that have been recommended by TfL staff members, with more than 21,000 being put forwards by bus drivers and more than 10,000 friends or relatives of retired TfL staff. A further 3,000-plus people would be candidates who know a ‘third party’ worker at TfL.

So, if you’ve got a dad that works on the trains or a best bud who drives a bus, now might be the time to have the chat about your travel costs because if you could nab a free travel pass and scrap that Oyster. Why wouldn’t you?

Are London’s foxes getting bolder? We investigate .

Legendary boozer The Prince of Peckham is opening a second venue .

• Chloe Williamson Contributing writer

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