Travel Plan

Aims of Our Travel Plan

There are lots of reasons to prepare a travel plan and below are just some of the aims of this plan:

  • Improve safety around the school gates and entrances
  • To encourage pupils to walk / cycle to school where possible
  • To improve the safety of journeys to and from school for parents and pupils
  • To decrease the amount of traffic within the school environment and surrounding area
  • To encourage drivers to slow down
  • To keep parents healthy too!
  • To raise awareness of healthy, eco-friendly possibilities
  • Promote the ‘Cycle Friendly School’ initative
  • Publish and promote awareness of the School Travel Plan

Access Arrangements

We have three entrances to our school:

  • Front gate beside P1-4 entrance: main pedestrian access to the school
  • Front gate beside P5-7 entrance: second pedestrian access to the school
  • School Car Park: some children from nursery enter this way if they come by car

Policies on Cycling and Walking
Walking to School
Carmyllie encourages pupils to walk to school to help the environment and encourage a healthy lifestyle. However, due to its rural nature this is not always possible.
Pupils walking to and from school are expected to behave in a responsible manner and should remember that their behaviour, both good and bad, reflects on the school.
Pupils should cross at designated safe crossing points.  Where neither option is available pupils should find a safe place to cross and remember the Highway Code.
Reflective clothing is encouraged, particularly during the winter months.

Cycling to School
All P 6 and 7 pupils are encouraged to cycle to school after passing their bike ability cycle training. Their bike must be in a safe condition and they should wear a helmet. These pupils should ride to school responsibly and remember that their behaviour, both good and bad, reflects on the school.

Pupils who are unable to cycle to school due to age restrictions set by Tayside Police for Cycle Training will be encouraged to cycle to school providing a responsible adult accompanies them.

Secure cycle storage is available at the school.

Reflective clothing is encouraged, particularly during the winter months.

The school’s main pedestrian access is via the main road running outside school.  This road is a 30mph zone and 20mph when school is in.
Parking at School
There is a car park within the school grounds for the use of staff and visitors which is accessed from the main road.  The car park has 8 spaces and disabled parking for one car.  The car park access is also used by delivery vehicles.

However we have had issues with car users regularly speeding passed the school.  This is a major concern for us and we are currently campaigning with the council on how to make this safer for our children and community.

School bus parks in the designated space outside the school gate.  Pupils then walk through gate into the playground.

Road Safety Initiatives
The children at Carmyllie are actively encouraged by the School Travel Co-ordinator/Active School Co-ordinator and teaching staff to take part in as many of the activities below as possible, giving the children attending the school as much road safety education as possible.

Streetsense
The Scottish Government funds this resource.  It is a classroom resource that teachers can be trained to use by their local Road Safety Officer/School Travel Co-ordinator.  Pupils do classroom work and also have homework sheets to complete at home.

JRSO
The Junior Road Safety Officer scheme was launched by the Scottish Road Safety Campaign in 2003.   Two pupils are to be elected as Junior Road Safety Officers at this year’s Health week (March 2019). They and an adult, from within school, along with a parent, will consider the information on the website and make an action plan. The role of our Junior Officers is to highlight road safety issues within the school. This is done through putting up and maintaining a notice board: running school competitions; giving class or assembly presentations and using the website www.jrso.com.

Bike Ability
This scheme is offered to all pupils who are in Primary 4,5,6 and 7 by the trained teaching staff and support staff.  The Arbroath Cycle Hub carries out a cycle and helmet check prior to commencing on-road training with the Head Teacher, support staff and in some cases parental volunteers. Children in P4-6 have the opportunity to achieve Bike Ability 2.  On-road training, Bike Ability 1, is carried out over 6 weeks with sessions lasting approximately 1 hour.    Children who have passed, Level 1 and Level 2 are then presented with certificates and a letter is sent to their parents.  As Carmyllie, is a rural school the children in P4-7 do Bike Ability for 4 years.

Road Safety Initiatives (cont’d)
The Curriculum
At Carmylie, ‘Road Safety’ and everything related to it is an integral part of the curriculum.

In the nursery and infant classes practical work is carried out through “Walkwise” as well as active lessons within the classroom using the ‘Police Box’ and ‘Streetsense’.

This work is continued through the middle and upper  years with input from the local police liaison officer.  Pupils continue to use the ‘Police Box’ and ‘Streetsense’ resources.

Road Safety is taken very seriously at Carmyllie as the school is on a main road.  Teachers use every opportunity (local and national news report / special events) and every resource (Police Box, Streetsense) to ensure that all pupils are aware of the dangers associated with travelling to and from school.  Wherever possible they are given practical help and advice to make their journeys to and from school as safe as possible.