Details of DfT's new grants for 'walking buses'

Print Print page   Download PDF PDF image

Would your school like some extra money to set up a "walking bus" or other (school-based) walking initiatives?

Walking buses - and walking to school generally - have several advantages. Walking improves child health. Some teachers have told us they find that children who walk to school are better able to concentrate, and therefore better able to learn, when they get there. Walking buses can reduce, and can even solve, parking problems around your school. They also provide an opportunity for children to learn road safety skills, and help to combat climate change.

The Department for Transport and DfES have announced a new scheme to provide grants of £1,000 a year for 3 years to state-funded primary schools in England who want to set up walking buses. This could be used to pay for a teaching assistant for 2 hours a week to organise and administer a walking bus, and to seek children and parent volunteers for the walking bus. Smaller grants (£500 a year) are available as an alternative to support other school-based initiatives, for example Walk on Wednesday or Go for Gold , to increase walking to and from school.

There is a one-page application form, to be sent to walkingbuses@dft.gsi.gov.uk The closing date for applications is 31 January 2007. There is a 3-page "How to set up a walking bus" guide, also available on this website.

Further details

Which schools are eligible?

The grants are available to state-funded primary schools (and state-funded middle deemed primary schools) in England. Non-maintained special schools are also eligible, but other independent schools are not.

In order to receive the £1,000 grant for the first year, the school's headteacher has to have a reasonable expectation that a 'walking bus' will save an extra 5 return car trips per day, on average over the whole year. In considering how many children will need to take part in the 'walking bus' in order to achieve this, you may like to know that the national average is that about half the children taking part in a 'walking bus' previously already walked to school. Your school may be different, but this would suggest that, typically, a walking bus would need an average of 10 children making return trips to meet the criterion - or 20 children if the bus only operates in the morning. We are asking schools to save an extra 5 return car trips per day as this is the number required to demonstrate sufficient health, congestion and climate change benefits to make it high value for money.

The grants are intended to enable schools to set up and sustain new 'walking buses', rather than fund existing 'walking buses'. However, if a headteacher feels a grant would enable their school to expand a 'walking bus' to save an extra 5 return car trips per day, on average, then they may apply for a grant. Similarly, they may also apply for a grant to help revive dormant 'walking buses' if they think the grant will enable them to save an extra 5 return car trips per day, on average.

To receive the grant in the second and third years, the school will need to provide evidence that these car trips had indeed been saved - and that they had a reasonable expectation that this would continue.

Applications

Schools may apply for a grant of £1,000 a year for 3 financial years (2007-08 to 2009-10) to help them to set up and sustain one or more new 'walking buses'.

If you want to pursue other school-based walking initiatives instead, schools may apply for a grant of £500 a year for 3 years. More details on that option are shown on the next page. In total, DfT is making available up to £5 million a year for the next 3 years.

The closing date for applications is 31 January 2007. DfT will only invite further rounds of applications in the event that the funds are not fully allocated.

We intend to inform schools of the results of applications from Easter. We strongly suggest that you continue with your plans to set up a walking bus after applying so that it is in a position to start as soon in the Spring term as is practicable (and as soon as suits your school).

The money will be paid through the DfES Standards Fund. Strictly speaking, it will be paid to local authorities as a specific ("Section 31 of the Local Government Act 2003") formula grant for onward transmission through the Standards Fund to the successful schools. The LA will know which schools should receive which grants.

The payments are being made as part of the Government's Travelling to Schoolproject to reduce car use for journeys to school. The Department for Transport (DfT) is providing the money and is working closely with the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Department for Health (DH) to integrate 'walking buses' into the Healthy Schools Initiative and promote a healthier lifestyle.

What can schools spend the grant on?

We want to give schools as much flexibility as possible. It is for each school to identify the most appropriate way of using the grant to set up and sustain walking buses. However, it could be used to:

  • pay a teaching assistant for up to two hours a week to organise and administer the 'walking buses' (estimated cost £800 pa);
  • provide tabards for children and escorts (£3-5 per child, £5-7 per adult);
  • provide small rewards to help maintain children's interest (estimated at £5 per child pa);
  • pay the cost of assessing 'walking bus' routes where the local authority is unable to carry this out (£250 per route);
  • or provide an escort for an initial period where there are insufficient parent volunteers. However, the grant would provide an escort only for a limited period and it will be worth considering how to ensure the walking bus is sustained beyond it.

DfT and DfES think the best use involves paying a teaching assistant for two hours a week to enable them to decide what routes the 'buses' should follow, act as a 'walking bus' co-ordinator/organiser to promote the scheme to parents, identify and organise volunteers, liaise with the local authority over insurance, safety audits, CRB checks and other issues, and (where appropriate) seek support and sponsorship from local businesses.

How does a school set up a 'walking bus'?

Schools with a 'walking bus' have told us that setting it up was less difficult and time-consuming than had been anticipated. It does, however, require some careful thought, time and patience and that is one of the reasons for providing funding for a teaching assistant to organise and administer it. The headteacher's leadership can help considerably in setting up a walking bus and increasing walking to school. To help sustain 'walking buses', we are providing grants for 3 years rather than 1.

Some local authorities and other organisations have already published guidance on setting up and maintaining "walking buses" and that guidance is likely to cover issues such as obtaining the support of the local authority, contacting parents to gauge interest and support, recruiting and training volunteers, obtaining insurance cover for volunteers, CRB checks for volunteers, getting the route safety checked, drawing up rules and timetables, providing incentives and events for children and volunteers, and successful case studies. Many local authorities have considerable experience in this area. Your school travel adviser may be able to help. We will be asking your local authority school travel adviser for views on applications received from schools in their area.

'How to set up a walking bus' provides a step-by-step guide.

Smaller (£500) grants for alternative walking initiatives

We are making smaller grants of £500 a year available to schools that would instead like to implement another walking initiatives (such as Walk on Wednesday or Go for Gold), as 'walking buses' may not be the right solution for every school. The eligibility rules and application process are the same as for 'walking bus' grants - except that schools applying will be required to have a reasonable expectation of saving on average an extra 2.5, rather than 5 return car trips a day.

Please send your completed application form to walkingbuses@dft.gsi.gov.uk by 31 Jan 2007. You should receive an acknowledgement within 7 days. If you do not, please send a further copy clearly marked 'Duplicate' to walkingbusesenquiries@dft.gsi.gov.uk .

If you have any questions about the above, either speak to the school travel adviser in your local authority or send an e-mail to walkingbusesenquiries@dft.gsi.gov.uk

Department for Transport

November 2006