Sustainable Modes of Travel Strategy (SMoTs)

Contents

Executive summary

Leeds City Council (LCC) has produced this Sustainable Modes of Travel to Schools Strategy (SMoTS) 2025/26-2030/31 in line with the requirements outlined in the Education and Inspections Act 2006 to meet the statutory duty of local authorities in England to promote the use of sustainable travel modes on journeys to, from and between places of education in their area. It replaces the previous Sustainable Education Travel Strategy (SETs) 2017-2021. It is structured around the 4 principle requirements of i) Assess ii) Audit iii) Promote and iv) Publish.

Leeds is the second largest metropolitan district in England covering an area of 552 square kilometres. By 2023, the population of Leeds had grown to 829,413 (source: ONS Mid-Year Estimates 2023). The proportion of young people aged 5 to 19 years in Leeds (18.7%) is slightly higher than the average for England (17.6%), with Leeds having a large student population. There were 119,529 statutory school age pupils (Reception to Year 11) in the January school census 2025. This figure rises to 132,138 when including early years and post-16. There are 281 learning establishments maintained by the council, academies and free schools, plus 18 independent schools in Leeds.

The Leeds SMOTS Strategy is aligned with other strategies and plans adopted and published by Leeds City Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) (Section 2), especially the Best City Ambition, Leeds’ Local Plan, Transport Supplementary Planning Document, the Connecting Leeds Transport Strategy, Leeds Vision Zero Strategy 2040, the West Yorkshire Transport Strategy 2040 and the West Yorkshire Vision Zero Strategy.

Funding to deliver the Leeds SMoTS Strategy is allocated from numerous sources for next 3 years but is less certain beyond that and largely dependent on future allocations from government via DfT and ATE. Funding is allocated from the Home to School Transport Fund (DfE), Active Travel Fund (ATE), Capability Fund (ATE) and City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (DfT) (Section 3). 

Various data sets and intelligence about the school aged population of Leeds is collated in Section 4 and about the current issues and challenges impacting journeys to schools in Leeds in Section 5. Key issues highlighted include road danger and deprivation, barriers to sustainable travel, air quality and health and childhood obesity. 

A data-led exercise has been carried out in order to assess and prioritise where limited funding and resources to facilitate and promote safe and sustainable travel to school in Leeds should be spent first (Section 6). Casualty data, how pupils currently travel to school and where higher proportions of pupils are being driven that live within a 10 minute walking distance were taken into account.

A plan for how routes to schools and facilities provided at school will be audited is set out in Section 7. The SMoTs programme of projects, schemes and measures to promote safe and sustainable travel to school in Leeds is provided in Section 8:

  • Travel planning support (using the Modeshift STARs for Education platform).
  • Safe and sustainable travel education / training in schools (including a range of practical and classroom-based sessions focused on pedestrian, scooter and transition from primary to secondary independent travel and Bikeability).
  • School Streets (access restrictions for motorised vehicles on streets outside schools during drop-off and pick-up times).
  • Safe and sustainable school travel communications (provision of travel information, our safe and sustainable travel mascot Arlo and a range of national, regional and local campaigns and challenges).
  • Active travel social prescribing pilot (the social prescribing of walking, wheeling, and cycling to improve mental and physical health of Leeds residents through walking and cycling groups in Burmantofts, Harehills and Richmond Hill primary care network from October 2022 to October 2026).
  • Child Friendly Leeds (especially the delivery of Wish 6: Children and young people can travel around the city safely and easily).

In accordance with statutory guidelines this SMoTS Strategy will be reviewed and updates provided annually by 19 September each year on Leeds City Council’s website.

1. Introduction

1.1 Assess, audit, promote and publish

Every school day approximately 132,000 pupils travel to over 300 schools and further education establishments across the Leeds District. Just over half (52%) of primary and secondary pupils walk, but just under a third are driven (30%) - that’s approximately 39,600 children in cars during peak school run times.

Leeds City Council has produced this Sustainable Modes of Travel to Schools Strategy (SMoTS) in line with the requirements outlined in the Education and Inspections Act 2006. In particular, Section 508A of the Education Act 1996: sustainable travel to school, requires local authorities to:

i. Assess the school travel needs of children of compulsory school age and persons of sixth form age in their area.

ii. Audit the facilities and services for sustainable travel within the authority that may be used when travelling to and from, or between schools/institutions.

iii. Promote the use of sustainable travel modes to places of education in their area.

iv. Publish a Sustainable Modes of Travel to School Strategy, a document which sets out their strategy to promote sustainable modes of travel to school for each academic year.

In this Strategy ‘sustainable travel’ includes active travel (walking, scooting, wheeling and cycling), public transport and shared transport.

Background to education provision in Leeds

Leeds is the second largest metropolitan district in England covering an area of 552 square kilometres. By 2023, the population of Leeds had grown to 829,413 (source: ONS Mid-Year Estimates 2023). The proportion of young people aged 5 to 19 years in Leeds (18.7%) is slightly higher than the average for England (17.6%), with Leeds having a large student population. There were 119,529 statutory school age pupils (Reception to Year 11) in the January school census 2025. This figure rises to 132,138 when including early years and post-16.

There are 281 learning establishments maintained by the council, academies and free schools (with more actual settings and satellite sites). Plus, there are 18 independent schools in Leeds.

Table 1: School and further education establishment types in Leeds

Type Total
Academies 102
Local authority maintained schools 163
Free schools 15
Independent schools 18
Further education 1
Non-maintained special school 1
Grant total 300

(Source: Get Information About Schools (GIAS) February 2025).

1.2 Policy background and alignment

Cross-functional working across the council’s Planning Services, Public Health, Highways and Transportation, Children and Families Services and West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) draws on national, regional and local policies to enable and promote sustainable travel across the Leeds District.

The most relevant strategies and policies are:

2. Aims and objectives

2.1 Aim

The overall aim of this Sustainable Modes of Travel to School Strategy (SMoTS) for Leeds is:

“To ensure every child and young person in Leeds can choose safe and sustainable travel modes (walking, wheeling (including scooting), cycling, shared or public transport) to travel to/from and between schools and colleges. Where children are driven to school, they are driven safer and smarter”. 

2.2 Objectives 

This aim is supported by the following key objectives:

  • reduce road danger (including perceived) on journeys to school and in the vicinity of schools and further education (16-19 years) establishments in Leeds
  • remove barriers (including perceived) to choosing sustainable modes of travel to school and further education (16-19 years) establishments in Leeds
  • increase the appeal and feasibility of sustainable modes of travel to school
  • ensure all new and expanded schools and further education (16-19 years) establishments in Leeds meet policy standards for sustainable access

2.3 Outcomes and targets

1. Reduce the proportion of pupils being driven to school in Leeds from 30% in 2024/25 to 28% by 2030/31.

2. Deliver Safe and Sustainable Travel Training in 50% of primary schools in each academic year by 2030/31. In 2023-24 41% (91) received training in school. 

3. Deliver Safe and Sustainable Travel Training in 20% of secondary/all thorough and post-16 settings in each academic year by 2030/31. In 2023/24 only a small number received training. 

4. 10% of schools and colleges will have a Modeshift STARs accredited Travel Plan (level Good or higher) by 2030/31. In 2024 11 (4%) schools were accredited (at levels from Approved to Outstanding).

5. All new or expanded schools will have a Travel Plan secured through planning that will be reviewed for at least 5 years post-full occupation.

6. Zero school aged children (5-16 years) will be killed or seriously injured in collisions on Leeds Roads by 2040.

7. 100% of eligible streets outside schools will continue to be designated 20mph zones.

3. Funding and resources

Funding to deliver SMoTs strategy activities currently comes from a number of sources, summarised in Table 2. There is uncertainty over what funding allocations will look like over the next 5 years and therefore the delivery period of this Strategy. 

Table 2: Current funding sources to deliver SMoTs strategy activities 

Funding name Funding source Amount
Travel plan review fees Schools (as the developer) £2,500 - £3,977 / school dependent on planning consent date
Home to school transport fund Department for Education (DfE)  £52,000 
Bikeability grant DfT £545,454 (2024/25)
(£38,000 for council officer staff time) 
Gainshare DfT 2024/25: £289,200
2025/26: £209,200
Capability fund DfT – ATE - WYCA 2022/23: £120,000
2023/24 Extension: £111,560
2024: £239,760
CRSTS DfT 2024/25: £90,000
2025/26: £90,000
2026/27: tbc
Active travel fund 5 DfT – ATE - WYCA £700,000
Consolidated active travel fund DfT – ATE - WYCA £12.858m for WY
TBC for Leeds
Infrastructure schemes (varies – ATF, CRSTS, TCF) DfT – ATE - WYCA Varies

4. Assess: Admissions and statutory school transport assistance 

4.1 Admissions and home to school/college travel support

Local authorities are responsible for administering school applications, admission policies and processes. Admission to voluntary controlled and community schools under the Leeds City Council admissions policy prioritises admission for those children living closest to the school. Without infringing parents’ rights to express a preference for a school of their choice for their children, this policy serves both to offer fair access to local schools and to reduce the need to have to travel long distances to and from school. 

Travel information is provided for parents/carers alongside general information about each school in a composite prospectus. Links are provided to West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s webpages about school travel (currently Metro but transitioning to the Weaver Network). Travel information will be reviewed and improved during the implementation of this SMOTs Strategy (2025/6-2030/31). See Section 8.5.

Updated guidance was published in January 2024 by the Department for Education (DfE) on ‘Travel to school for children of compulsory school age. Statutory guidance for local authorities’. 

Parents of children aged 5-16 years old apply to the Travel Assessment team at the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), for home to school travel support when their child has been offered a school place. Parent/carers of a child or young person aged 5-25 with Special Educational Needs or Disability (SEND) apply to Children’s Transport at Leeds City Council. Transport or assistance provided aims to meet the needs of the child or young person, provide value for money, and be as sustainable as possible. Travel support is only provided and funded by the council where one or more statutory funding criteria are met. 

The council (Assets and Access Team in Children’s and Families) are also responsible for the delivery of Independent Travel Training for children and young people with SEND, planning the build of sufficient accessible learning places for children and young people with SEND in Leeds and ensuring school buildings are fit for purpose and are compliant with statutory duties. Criteria are set around distance travelled, age and income as well as Education Health and Care (EHC) plans for SEND children.

5. Current issues and challenges 

This section outlines some of the current challenges in Leeds that need to be better understood and addressed to achieve the aims and objectives of this SMoTs Strategy (see Section 2). 

5.1 Road danger and deprivation

Only 52% of Leeds residents say it is safe for children to walk to school and just 44% believe it is safe for children to cycle to school (National Highways and Transport Network (NHT) survey 2024). Until more parents and young people feel it is safe to walk, wheel, scoot or cycle to school, children will continue to be driven to school. This leads to a vicious circle of more traffic and less safe roads.

School gate parking and congestion make roads near schools feel dangerous, reduce air quality and make it harder for families to walk, scoot, wheel or cycle. Traffic presents a specific threat to children who are starting to travel independently, particularly those walking to secondary school.

Examination of collision data for Leeds during typical journey to school times (7:30am-8:59am or 2:30pm-4:59pm, Monday to Friday, excluding school holidays and bank holidays) over the last 4 years reveals that the majority (95%) of people aged under 19 recorded as KSIs during typical school journey to school times were pedestrians. A further 4 people below the age of 19 who were killed or seriously injured on journeys to/from school between 2020-2024 were passengers in vehicles (Table 3).

Table 3: People under 19 killed or seriously injured in collisions coinciding with journeys/to/from school 2020-2024

Age 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 Total
Pedestrians 12 19 17 13 61 (94%)
Drivers/riders/passengers 0 3 1 0 4 (6%)
Total 12 22 18 13 65

Leeds Safe Roads Vision Zero 2040 strategy, adopted in September 2022, sets out Leeds City Council’s bold ambition to eliminate fatal and serious road injuries from Leeds roads by 2040. Vision Zero aims to create a road environment and traffic culture where people feel that it is safe to cycle, safe to let their children walk to school, safe to travel in cleaner, greener, healthier ways on roads that are (and feel) free from danger, roads that cherish human life.

A 'Safe System' approach is being used to achieve Vision Zero and consider the wider context of road safety to make the whole traffic system safer. Five themes underpin the Safe System for Leeds. They are:

1. Safe behaviours and people
2. Safe speeds
3. Safe roads
4. Safe vehicles
5. Post-collision learning and care

The Vision Zero Strategy focuses on the ‘Fatal Five’. These behavioural choices cause collisions that have the worst outcomes: 

1. Speeding
2. Not wearing seatbelts
3. Drink and drug driving 
4. Driver distraction
5. Careless driving

We continue to use road casualty data alongside other metrics (Section 6) to help prioritise who and which schools we work with to support increased safe and sustainable travel. 

In 2023 West Yorkshire Combined Authority also adopted a Vision Zero and Safe System approach and established a Vision Zero board (2022) which is chaired by the Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime. The Strategy was published in 2024 and an Action Plan has been published in 2025. Leeds City Council are a key partner supporting the development and delivery of the West Yorkshire Strategy. 

5.2 Barriers to sustainable travel to school

Mode of travel to school data is requested annually from all schools in the Leeds district (see Section 6). Nearly two thirds (63%) of schools (189 out of 300) in Leeds provided Travel to School data in 2024, representing 83,175 individual pupils. 

5.2.1 Travel to school in Leeds 2023-24

Walking continues to be the predominant method of travelling to school in Leeds with over half (52.2%) of all school aged children (5-16 years) walking to school in 2023-24. 

Journeys to school by car account for 31% of all school travel (5-16 years) including car/van, car share and taxis. 

13% of all school pupils travel to school by bus (dedicated school bus 7.1%, public service bus 3.9% and bus type not known 2%).

Figure 1: Leeds travel to school mode split 2023-24 (all school aged children 5-16 years)
Pie chart showing data on travel to school in Leeds 2023-24

5.2.2 Travel to school in Leeds vs national average

The proportion of primary school pupils walking to school in Leeds (59.3%) is 13 percentage points higher than the national average and the proportion of primary children being driven in a car/van (36.1%) is 10 percentage points lower than the national average (2023 National Travel Survey).

The proportion of secondary school pupils walking to school in Leeds matches the national average (44%) and the proportion being driven to school (21.8%) is 8 percentage points lower (2023 National Travel Survey).

Figure 2: Comparison of travel to school mode splits: Leeds (2023-24) vs national average (2023)
Bar chart showing data on travel to school in Leeds versus national average

Mode choice changes through phases of education in Leeds from primary to secondary and post-16. The proportion of children walking to school reduces from 59.3% in primary to 43.7% in secondary schools. 

Car travel is proportionally higher for primary pupils at 34.6% compared to 20% of secondary pupils. Almost 28% of secondary pupils travel to school by bus compared with only 2% of primary.

During the 9-year period between 2015 to 2024, car journeys to school increased from 29.2% in 2015-18, peaked at 31.1% in 2017-20 and reduced again during 2021-24. Walking and cycling numbers have reduced from a high of 55.4% in 2015-18, to a low of 53.5% in 2020-23 and settling around 53.6% in 2021-24. Journeys by bus have fallen marginally over the period, although there was a significant drop off in bus journeys during the pandemic these have largely recovered to around 14% of journeys to school.

Figure 3: Leeds school mode of travel trend 2015-2024 (3-year rolling averages) 
Graph showing Leeds school mode of travel trend 2015-2024

One of the key barriers to more people feeling able to choose sustainable modes to travel to school is real and perceived road danger (previous section). Other barriers to travelling by sustainable modes to school more often, identified through surveys in Leeds and further afield include:

  • information and knowledge about the most pleasant, safest and quickest routes to school including perceptions of how long walking takes versus driving and parking 
  • confidence of both pupils and parents/carers that pupils can travel by sustainable modes safely both with their parents and especially independently 
  • access to scooters and bikes and storage, particularly in more deprived areas
  • parents/carers carrying out linked trips in a post-pandemic world of more hybrid working for some but often not the case for many professions, especially lower paid roles
  • increasing pressures on parents'/carers' daily schedules
  • parents/carers incorrectly believing their child is exposed to more harmful vehicle emissions walking to school than being driven

Measures to address the above barriers are implemented as part of the Travel Behaviour Change Team service offering which is refined as awareness and understanding of the barriers through working with schools grows.

5.3 Air quality

Air pollution particularly affects the most vulnerable in society, children, the elderly, and those with existing heart and lung conditions. Additionally, people living in less affluent areas are most exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution. Being exposed to air pollution can also affect children’s lung function development. In areas with high air pollution, it could be setting some children up for health problems throughout their lives. 

There are 2 primary air pollutants of concern for Leeds:

  • nitrogen dioxide (NO2), of which the main source is vehicle emissions and the burning of other fossil fuels
  • particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), of which a third is from sources outside of the UK, a half comes from domestic wood burning or transport emissions, and a small proportion comes from naturally occurring sources such as pollen, sea salt, and airborne dust

Other pollutants, including carbon monoxide and sulphur dioxide, are found at levels well within the national and World Health Organisation guidelines in Leeds.

Air quality in Leeds has improved significantly in recent years. Concentrations of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) in particular have reduced considerably since 2019. So much so that 5 of 6 Air Quality Management Areas declared in Leeds were revoked in 2024. Monitored PM10 and PM2.5 levels in Leeds were also well within UK Air Quality Objectives in 2023.

DfT’s ‘Road to Zero’ details the government’s approach to reduce exhaust emissions from road transport through a number of mechanisms, in balance with the needs of the local community. It sets out new measures to clean up road transport and lead the world in the developing, manufacturing and using zero emission road vehicles.

The Leeds Air Quality Strategy 2021-2030 and Action Plan sets out how the council intends to continue to ensure the ongoing improvement in air quality. It has nine themes, two of which are ‘Transport’ and ‘Alternative Fuels/Modal Shift’. 

5.4 Health and childhood obesity 

In 2018, Leeds City Council was the first local authority in Yorkshire to formally adopt the Healthy Weight Declaration. The declaration is a commitment to promote healthy weight across all areas of the organisation with the aim of improving the health and wellbeing of the local population. The council also continued to fund Leeds Healthy School’s Standard award scheme, improving the quality of school food, physical activity and the personal, social, health and economic curriculum.

The National Child Measurement programme (NCMP) is a statutory public health function of the local authority. Each year, the height and weight of school children in Reception (4-5 years old) and Year 6 (10-11 years old) are measured to establish how children are growing and understand patterns of underweight, healthy weight, overweight and obesity. 

In 2023-24 94% of Reception and 95% of Year 6 children were measured. The NCMP data shows that Leeds rates for Reception-aged children living with obesity have fallen to 9.1% which is the lowest seen since 2016/17. Leeds rate for Year 6 fell from 23.3% to 22.2%. The obesity rate has decreased in both school year groups compared to last year in line with the national trend and better than the regional trend. 

There is a strong relationship between children living with obesity and deprivation. Children living in the most deprived areas of Leeds remain more than twice as likely to be living with obesity. For example, 31% of children are living with obesity in the most deprived ward of Leeds compared to 12% in the least deprived.

6. Assess: Prioritisation exercise

6.1 Datasets

There are 300 primary, secondary and further education (16-19 years) school settings/sites in the Leeds District. With limited funding and staffing resources available it is not always possible to meet the full expectations of all requests received. The approach taken, to better understand the level of need and potential for mode shift of different schools using a data-led prioritisation exercise, has been undertaken so that resources and funding can be most effectively allocated. Available and relevant datasets used that link back to Strategy objectives are:

Table 4: Prioritisation datasets and metrics
Dataset Source Objective Metric
Casualty data (CRaSH (was STATS19) database 2019-2023) Reduce road danger No. KSI
Pupil and school postcodes (used to calculate median distances travelled and proportions of pupils living within reasonable walking and cycling times)  (Synergy database for Schools) Reduce barriers to and increase the appeal of sustainable modes of travel. Identify where there is the most potential to shift towards active modes.  Median distance travelled to school and % of pupils within an active travel distance
Mode of travel to school (Leeds City Council Mode of Travel to School Survey) Reduce barriers to and increase the appeal sustainable modes of travel % of children travelling by each mode

6.1.1 Additional datasets

Other datasets that may be included as the methodology is refined include:

  • Median distance travelled to school
  • Air quality data
  • National Child Measurement programme 
  • Indices of multiple deprivation

6.2 Methodology 

All 300 schools in Leeds have been ranked in priority order of need and potential for change using the data described below. 

6.2.1 Casualty data

Casualty data has been extracted from the CRaSH database, for casualties aged 0-15, covering all modes of travel. 

6.2.2 Pupils living within a 10-minute walking isochrone 

The percentage of pupil home addresses falling within a 10-minute walking isochrone of each school, measured from the centre point of every school site was calculated. In future years more “Active Travel” isochrones will be plotted for each school site for walking, wheeling and cycling up to 50 minutes and from main school access points to increase the robustness and accuracy of this metric. The percentage of pupils living within a reasonable walking or cycling journey time can then be better understood, along with the potential for change. 

6.2.3 Mode of Travel (MoT) to school (% car/van driven)

Mode of Travel (MoT) to school data is collected annually in February/March. Response rates are usually high (63% of schools in 2023-24) but it is not a complete dataset. The most recent figure available for each school from the last 3 years is used; where school MoT survey data is not available, hands up survey data collected by the school and input on the Modeshift STARs online travel plan tool is used.

6.3 Prioritisation results 

Schools have been placed in 5 bands from A-E, with 60 schools in each band. It is our aspiration to work with all schools in Leeds but the banding provides an order for allocating the limited funding and resources available. A broad indication of the banding and corresponding intensity of support that can be provided is presented below. More information about services and programmed works is provided in Section 8 ‘Promote: Projects, Schemes and Measures’.

Prioritisation banding and level of support

The prioritisation bandings help determine the level of support and resource that the council will allocate to a school. While many of the council's resources will be made available on Leeds for Learning, Band A schools would be expected to receive the highest level of support which may include: safe and sustainable travel training, Modeshift STARS support, route audits, and funding allocations for onsite/offsite infrastructure improvements. The support will reduce on a sliding scale based on the banding, with Band E schools signposted to self-help guidance, including information on Leeds for Learning or national campaigns, as well as introductory support for Modeshift STARS.

7. Audits

7.1 School infrastructure audits

All schools in Leeds are encouraged to utilise the Modeshift STARS online travel plan tool to create and monitor their own School Travel Plans. Where schools have received planning permission for a new or expanding site, commitment to do so is secured via planning conditions (Leeds City Council-run schools) or Section 106 Agreement (Academy or privately run schools). Within the Modeshift STARs toolkit there are templates to audit sustainable travel infrastructure and facilities, primarily within the site grounds. Summary reports can be downloaded from the online travel plan tool and used to inform funding allocation decisions.

Travel information for schools is provided in an online Composite Prospectus. This has recently been updated from mapped data about schools and currently confirms whether the following are present at the school:

  • 20mph zone: a 20mph zone immediately outside the main entrance(s) to the school
  • school crossing patrol: a school crossing patrol provided near the school
  • cycle route: a segregated cycle route that goes past or near to the school
  • school street: a street immediately outside the school has an access restriction in place for motorised vehicles during school drop-off and pick-up times
  • dedicated school bus: a dedicated school bus is provided for some pupils attending the school (public services buses may also be available) 

The following additional information will be collected and provided in future years:

  • cycle storage: a place for bicycles to be parked during the school day
  • scooter storage: a place for scooters to be stored during the school day
  • park and stride: a designated car parking area for parents/carers to park away from the school entrance(s) and walk into school
  • parent waiting shelter: a covered area for parents/carers to wait while pupils are dopped off/picked up
  • 10 minute walk: the percentage of pupils who live within a 10 minute walk from school

7.2 School route audits (SRAs)

School route audits have not been routinely undertaken for all 300 school sites in Leeds, rather on an ad hoc basis in response to requests from schools, residents and councillors, as problems are highlighted or as funding opportunities have become available. 

The intention in this Strategy period is to establish a more standardised approach to auditing routes to schools using the results of the prioritisation exercise as a guide to address those with most need and potential for impact. A successful funding bid for Active Travel Fund 5 for an ‘Access to Schools Package’ will help establish an agreed approach and methodology for conducting school route audits that can be replicated for schools in Leeds, with the intention that ‘shelf-ready’ scheme proposals are available as and when funding opportunities arise. The Travel Behaviour Change, Transport Strategy and Traffic Engineering teams will agree a methodology and templates that can be used by council officers to conduct future audits in a more routine way. 

7.3 School crossing patrols

7.3.1 Background

A school crossing patrol (SCP) service to help children cross roads is currently offered outside 44 schools in Leeds (Sept 2025). 

The School Crossing Patrol Act 1953 and Order (1954) allows local authorities to provide school crossing patrols where previously police authorities and traffic wardens were responsible for this service. However, this is not a statutory duty and remains a permissive function, carried out at the discretion of the local authority.

School crossing patrols in Leeds are provided in line with both national (School Crossing Patrol Service Guidelines, Road Safety GB, April 2018) and local policy (School Crossing Patrol Policy, LCC, December 2022) which is used to determine where to allocate resources. 

Information about where SCPs are located is provided in Leeds’ Composite Prospectus for schools.

7.3.2 Applications for new SCPs and annual review

Requests for new SCP sites come from various sources: schools, education offices or elected members. Often, several of these individuals and bodies make requests for the same SCP site. Applicants are required to complete a short checklist before an audit is carried out. Investigating a request for a new school crossing site is carried out as quickly as possible and measured against the adopted criteria.

Once the decision to reject or approve a request for an audit has been made, responses are sent to the relevant parties to notify them of the outcome. When turning down an application, the reason for the decision is clearly explained. If a site doesn’t meet the criteria for a new crossing patrol but the school or other parties want to provide one, it can be provided by the council as a chargeable service. The charge (made to the school) covers the salary and on costs of the SCP person. The management, supervision, and overheads are covered by LCC. Unsuccessful applications are referred to colleagues in Transport Strategy, Travel Behaviour Change and ward engineers so that alternative support can be considered.

Locations are reviewed at least annually and on a rolling basis where there is a change in circumstances; school closure, road or traffic changes, retirement or if the SCP decides to leave. Where the site no longer meets the policy criteria, again this can be provided as a chargeable service if funding is made available by the school or others. An audit could also suggest that an SCP site should be replaced by other measures, such as a light-controlled crossing. These sites are referred to the relevant highways ward engineer.

8. Promote: Projects, schemes, measures 

8.1 Infrastructure schemes

It is increasingly recognised that providing infrastructure and transport improvements alone will not necessarily result in travel behaviour change. There is no point in investing in sustainable services and infrastructure unless we also enable and encourage more people to use them. In Leeds we want to follow the lead set by the Welsh Government that all programmes and projects must address behaviour change for the long term after the schemes have been completed. This will maximise the potential for all schemes to meet our strategic goals. Therefore, we will deliver behaviour change interventions alongside capital schemes going forward.

Individuals are more likely to consider changing the way they travel when:

  • they are more aware of the range of options available to them
  • they feel able and confident to use alternative modes of travel

In Leeds, where new infrastructure and transport improvements are delivered a package of ‘wrap-around’ or supporting interventions will be targeted at those who travel through or live, work, learn and play in the vicinity of the scheme. This approach has recently been adopted and at present Behaviour Change measures and interventions are being scoped at an early stage of scheme development so that funding can be allocated in the scheme budget. Going forward the aspiration is that an agreed percentage of each infrastructure scheme budget will be allocated up front for Behaviour Change delivery including targeting schools in the vicinity of transport improvements / infrastructure.

Infrastructure schemes are currently being delivered using the below funding sources:

  • sites and lengths of concern
  • City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) schemes 
  • Transforming Cities Fund (TCF)
  • healthier street schemes
  • Active Travel Fund (ATF) 2-5 schemes and a forthcoming Combined Active Travel Fund (CATF)

8.2 School and college travel plans

SMoTS and school/college travel plans help to fulfil the requirements of the statutory duty of the Education Inspections Act 2006 section 508A. A travel plan provides a clear strategy for each school/college on how it aims to promote sustainable travel to parents/carers, pupils, staff and visitors attending the school.

Until 2010 all schools in England were required to have a School Travel Plan and received funding from the Department for Education (DfE) to implement them. Leeds City Council still aims for all schools and colleges to have and implement a Travel Plan. The Travel Behaviour Change team support schools and colleges to use the Modeshift STARS online Travel Plan Toolkit which provides comprehensive Travel Plan preparation and monitoring tools. There is no charge for schools to use the Modeshift STARS Education platform as the licence is paid by WYCA for all West Yorkshire District Authorities (from April 2025, Leeds City Council funded the licence between 2008-2025).

All schools with access to Modeshift STARS can submit a Travel Plan application for national Travel Plan accreditation (see Section 9.3 for explanation of different levels).

Information provided through the Travel Plan can help to identify the most appropriate locations for supportive infrastructure programmes, particularly pedestrian and cycle crossings, traffic calming measures and 20mph zones.

However, given the number of educational establishments in Leeds it is not possible to provide intensive support to all schools/colleges to create and implement their Travel Plans. Support is provided based on a ‘Prioritisation Schools List’ (see Section 6) and as requested, and capacity allows.

The health of children in Leeds is also of concern as locally and nationally figures show that obesity levels, despite stabilising, are still too high and this is partly attributed to sedentary lifestyles. (see Section 5.4)

8.2.1 New and expanded schools - planning obligated

New and expanding schools that require planning approval must produce or update their Travel Plan to meet the standards set out in Leeds’ Transport Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) Part 4. It also identifies barriers through the extensive consultation process, highlights appropriate initiatives to develop and implement in school, and audits the infrastructure in and around the local area (see Section 7.1). Appropriate infrastructure and facilities are installed to facilitate safe routes to school and enable delivery of the Travel Plan measures.

Everyone who may be affected by the Travel Plan (pupils, parents, carers, staff, governors, local community etc.) play a role in developing it. The headteacher or chair of governors must approve the school Travel Plan. The education establishment must implement and monitor the Travel Plan, and it should be in the School Improvement Plan (SIP).

Travel Plans should be developed using either a template approved by Leeds City Council or created using the online travel plan tool, Modeshift STARS. All planning obligated school Travel Plans are monitored by the school and reviewed annually by Council officers through the online Modeshift STARS platform.

The Travel Behaviour Change Team is responsible for reviewing the implementation and monitoring of all development-related Travel Plans. The council charge a fee for this review service which is based on working with the school/college for at least 5 years following completion of the agreed works.

The Travel Plan review fee is used by the council to enable officers to work with appointed School Travel Plan Co-ordinators, supporting the delivery of Travel Plans, providing advice and information. It also contributes towards the management, procurement and maintenance of the council’s preferred online travel plan tool.

The review process ensures compliance with Planning obligations and Travel Plan targets and enables the council to evaluate the wider impact of Travel Planning across the Leeds City Council area and its contribution to the Connecting Leeds Transport Strategy. Annual monitoring must include the results of staff and pupil/student travel surveys (see Section 9.3.2).

8.2.2 Voluntary school travel planning

There is no fee to register and use Modeshift STARS, so all schools/colleges in Leeds can voluntarily choose to use it.

Section 6 described the approach for prioritising education establishments/sites in terms of need and potential impact. This process enables the determination of the level of support, interventions and services that can realistically be offered to schools and colleges. The Travel Behaviour Change team will also maximise opportunities to support schools where funding is available to deliver behaviour change interventions (Section 8.1 for examples).

Schools and colleges impacted by nearby highways infrastructure schemes will be encouraged to register and update their Travel Plan on Modeshift STARS. Behaviour change interventions will be planned to support the introduction of new, or improved pedestrian or cycle facilities.

8.3 Safe and sustainable travel education programme

Leeds City Council has retained a comprehensive service of safe and sustainable travel education and training to primary aged children despite uncertain funding regimes. The team works in partnership with West Yorkshire Vision Zero Partnership, Police and Fire and Rescue to offer secondary and further education sessions. This service offering is promoted via the Leeds for Learning website and newsletters and directly to schools.

In previous years these services (with the exception of Bikeability) were delivered using council revenue funding that is increasingly under pressure. Funding from sources such as the Capability Fund and Gainshare have been used to supplement delivery in 2023/24 and 2024/25 where appropriate.

Table 5: Safe and sustainable travel training service offering

  Offer (with links to the Leeds for Learning website) Primary Secondary Post-16 Any
Practical Practical road safety (pedestrian) training - Year 2 / Year 4 X      
Practical scooter training X      
Practical cycle training (Bikeability)  X X    
Mini police and school gate parking session for upper Key Stage 2 - BC / police led  X      
Walk Once a Week (partnering with Living Streets) X      
Active Travel Ambassadors Programme (partnering with Modeshift)   X X  
BikeRegister cycle security event        X
One-to-one road safety support and training for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)       X
Speed awareness session led by BC staff including Speed Indication Device (Smiley SID)       X
Assemblies Road safety and sustainable travel assembly X      
Road safety pantomime X      
Road safety / active travel assemblies for Year 7   X    
Classroom based Classroom-based road safety and active travel sessions X      
Road safety / active travel lessons for Year 7   X    
Speed awareness road safety session including brake reaction tester       X
Theatre in Education Pedestrian training - “Split Second” Year 7 (Theatre in Education)   X    
Drive for Life - 3 days (partnering with West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service)   X X  
Targeted intervention days including @e-tude and Fast, Fatal and Furious (partnering with West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service)   X X  
Pre and young driver/ passenger road safety session (partnering with Theatre in Education)     X  
One Life Lost (partnering with West Yorkshire Police)     X  
Other Walking bus / park and stride: advice and training for school staff / volunteers X      
Safe and sustainable travel information stall for schools and colleges       X
Road safety / sustainable travel information sessions and support for community groups       X
Modeshift STARS demonstration (online travel planning tool)       X
School / college travel plan support       X

The Travel Behaviour Change team is trained to teach fun and informative pedestrian, cycling, scooter and road safety workshops and training. We aim to develop children’s skills and confidence for independent travel and raise awareness of the benefits of active and sustainable travel. Our training is tailored for each age group with progression throughout key stages and fully risk assessed. Training is also suitable for SEND schools using specially adapted bikes and scooters.

In the academic year of 2023-24, our safe and sustainable travel trainers delivered training sessions for 33,017 children from ages 4 to 13 in Leeds (Table 6). 

Table 6: Safe and sustainable travel training delivery 2023-24

Type of training Number of participants
Classroom training (Years N, R, 1, 5) 4,736
Pedestrian (Years 2, 4 and 6) 8,607
Seatbelt safety training (Year 3) 2,230
Whole school themed assemblies 3,187
Scooter training 2,316
Christmas road safety panto 9,611
Mini police 521
SID speeding awareness (Year 5) 249
High school assemblies 1,560
Total 33,017

8.3.1 Bikeability

The national Bikeability programme is largely funded by central government via the Bikeability Trust and delivery partners. Leeds City Council currently appoints Cycle North to deliver training in schools. From September 2023 to August 2024, a total of 12,972 pupils received Bikeability training. Two thirds of the sessions were Level 1/2 training where pupils pedal with more confidence and improve their cycle skills.

Table 7: DFT funded Bikeability training

Course 2023 2024 Totals
  Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug  
Level 1 0 0 56 150 276 151 373 30 106 23 164 0 1,329
Level 1/2 620 1,147 739 466 563 780 1,164 488 616 1,334 706 0 8,623
Level 3 0 0 151 246 30 60 40 0 60 60 0 0 647
Balanceability 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 300 120 180 0 600
Learn to Ride 127 338 262 64 117 141 45 211 210 126 132 0 1,773
No. of students 747 1,485 1,208 926 986 1,132 1,622 729 1,292 1,663 1,182 0 12,972
No. of sessions 24 44 29 25 33 28 48 18 41 46 36 0 372
No. of schools  21 33 22 16 21 23 31 11 31 35 23 0 267

Active Travel England and Leeds City Council are committed to increasing the number of children who take part in Level 2 / Level 1 and 2 combined delivery. The following Bikeability programme objectives were agreed for 2025/26: 

  • maximise participation in, and achievement of, Bikeability Level 2 rider outcomes by the end of primary school (Year 6). Level 2 has the biggest impact on road safety per £ spent and increases opportunities for learners to cycle on the highway as part of future functional journeys
  • preparing children for Level 2 through Level 1, Learn to Ride and Balance
  • encouraging schools to take part in Bikeability courses
  • monitoring the capacity of the cycle training industry to meet demand across the country
  • ensuring participation in the Bikeability programme of under-represented groups in line with national demographics
  • enabling higher levels of independent cycling post primary school, by delivering Level 3 training, including piloting an integrated approach in a small number of areas where infrastructure and other behaviour change interventions are planned

The total Bikeability Trust grant received by Leeds City Council in 2023-24 was £568,330. Leeds City Council set a budget for Level 2, which can be assigned in part or full to the Level 1/2 combined course and also the option to accept funding for use on Level 1, Level 3 or Learn to Ride and a smaller amount for Balance. In 2023-24 Leeds City Council supplemented Bikeability delivery using other funding to bolster basic skills so that it will be easier to deliver the higher levels of Bikeability training using the Bikeability Trust grant funding.

8.4 School Streets

8.4.1 Current programme

School Streets restrict access for motorised traffic during school pick-up and drop-off times using a legally enforceable Traffic Regulation Order to make the space outside schools more pleasant safer for people walking, cycling and wheeling to school. Exemptions are made for access permit holders, authorised vehicles and blue badge holders. School Streets are part of our ambition to make Leeds the best city for all our children and young people to grow up in, be a city where you don't need a car, and to achieve Vision Zero by 2040.

National School Streets guidance was published by DfT in November 2024 setting out how local authorities, schools and partners should set up and manage School Street schemes.

Leeds now has 17 operational School Streets, installed over 4 phases between June 2020 and September 2024 (using Active Travel England funding allocated through WYCA).

Table 8: School Streets in Leeds

Phase Launch date School Ward Restricted street(s)
1 Jun-20 Clapgate Primary Middleton Park Cranmore Drive, Raylands Road (from Raylands Way to Cranmore Drive)
1 Jun-20 Ingram Road Primary Beeston and Holbeck Rydall Place (Crosby Street to Brown Lane East)
1 Jun-20 Lane End Primary Hunslet and Riverside Beeston Road (Hunslet Hall Road to its northern end), Lane End Place
1 Jun-20 Pudsey Primrose Primary Pudsey Primrose Hill
1 Jun-20 Thorpe Primary Ardsley and Robin Hood Dolphin Lane (Lingwell Gate Lane to Lynton Avenue), Lynton Avenue, Belmont Terrace, Ashfield Terrace
2 Sep-20 Hollybush Primary Bramley and Stanningley Landseer Crescent
2 Sep-20 Hugh Gaitskill Primary Beeston and Holbeck St Anthony's Drive
2 Sep-20 Middleton St Mary's Primary Middleton Park Moor Flatts Avenue, Moor Flatts Road
2 Sep-20 Westgate Primary Otley and Yeadon Scarborough Road, Kays Crescent
2 Sep-20 Woodlesford Primary Rothwell Highfield Lane, Highfield Crescent
2 Sep-20 Chapel Allerton Primary Chapel Allerton Methley Terrace, Zermatt Mount, Back Methley Drive
2 Sep-20 Great Preston VC C of E Primary Kippax and Methley Hirst Street
3 Sep-23 Birchfield Primary School Morley North Birchfield Avenue
3 Sep-23 Blenheim Primary School Little London and Woodhouse Lofthouse Place
3 Sep-23 Bramhope Primary School Adel and Wharfedale Breary Rise
4 Sep-24 St Bartholomew's Primary Armley Strawberry Lane
4 Sep-24 Ireland Wood Primary Weetwood Raynel Gardens

School Streets feature permanent road signage at the gateway to the restricted zone and currently rely on school staff stewarding the entrance putting out temporary A-Frame signs (after a launch period supported by council officers). Whilst they have been well-received by school communities and most residents, challenges remain around compliance and enforcement of the orders. To try and assist with issues of compliance temporary retractable barriers have been trialled at some sites in Leeds with some success. 

8.4.2 Future sites, application and selection process

We have learned and refined our approach to School Streets through our own and shared experience with other local authorities across the UK. 

Selection criteria for School Streets were developed as part of an evaluation study, undertaken in partnership with Living Streets in November 2022 to ensure they are implemented in the best suited locations. Schools sign up to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) confirming the objectives, roles and responsibilities of delivery partners. 

Before and after monitoring data is collected including traffic counts, speeds, parking beat surveys and surveys of parents/carers and residents/businesses.

8.4.3 Compliance and enforcement

School Streets are most effective where they have a high level of support from the school and local community and higher levels of compliance. School Street Orders are currently only enforceable by the police in Leeds. West Yorkshire Neighbourhood Policing teams and Council Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) visit each School Street periodically to enforce the School Street Order (police) and any other parking restrictions in the vicinity of the schools (CEOs). 

Leeds City Council applied for and were granted powers (“the Part 6 powers”) to enforce moving traffic contraventions under Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 (“the 2004 Act”). This includes the enforcement of School Street Traffic Regulation Orders. However, when Part 6 Powers legislative changes were made, DfT stipulated that LAs must enforce moving traffic offences using cameras (not foot patrols) and that cameras have to be authorised and registered by the Vehicle Certification Agency/DfT. This restricts the suppliers that can be used and increases costs.

Leeds City Council is working with partners to pilot the use of cameras for the enforcement of School Streets in line with DfT/ATE Guidance for School Streets published in November 2024.

Schools interested in School Streets can apply by completing a short application form or emailing schoolstreets@leeds.gov.uk to ensure initial selection criteria are met. There is currently (2025-26) no further funding for the delivery of additional School Streets in Leeds. DfT/ATE/WYCA Capability Funding has been allocated to monitor/support existing School Streets and trial camera enforcement. School Streets can be secured via the planning process for new or expanding schools.

8.5 Safe and sustainable travel communications, campaigns and initiatives 

Communicating key messages in a fun and engaging way is central to the success of Leeds SMoTs Strategy. Target audiences include school staff, parents/carers and pupils. Some of the main communication channels employed are outlined below.

8.5.1 Online

  • Online travel information (Schools composite prospectus and Metro) 
  • Social media Channels:
    • Connecting Leeds
    • Child Friendly Leeds
    • Leeds City Council
  • Leeds YouTube channel
  • Leeds for Learning webpages and newsletters
  • Variable Messaging Signs (VMS)

Online travel to school information for parents/carers and pupils is currently spread across multiple websites/pages:

  • Leeds Schools Composite Prospectus (with travel info)
  • Leeds City Council Travel Information pages
  • WYCA/Metro (public transport)
  • WYCA/City Connect

Information is provided on the combined authority’s website about bus travel to school (linked from the council’s webpages): https://www.wymetro.com/schools/.

In this SMOTs delivery period we aim to improve how travel information is provided for parents/carers and pupils. Learning from elsewhere, a good example is provided by Transport for Greater Manchester’s (TfGM) Bee Network (Travelling to school | Bee Network | Powered by TfGM) where parents can look up general travel information as well as school specific. 

Schools are actively encouraged to provide travel information on their own websites that promotes walking, scooting, wheeling, public transport, car sharing and park and stride. They are also encouraged to highlight campaigns and initiatives that parents can engage in such as walking buses, park and stride, Walk Once a Week, Big Walk and Wheel as well as travel training offered in school such as Bikeability, Pedestrian, Scooter and Transition training.

8.5.2 Safe and sustainable travel mascot

Road Safety messaging in the UK has historically been conveyed with the help of character mascots (from Tufty the Squirrel to Charlie and his cat). For over 25 years Leeds City Council were supported by Kerby and Spike the hedgehogs who retired to the Prickly Pigs Hedgehog hospital in November 2024. 

Their shoes have been filled by Arlo the Owl who was named by Leeds school pupils. Arlo attends events in schools and in the community and has his own YouTube presence on the Leeds City Council channel in short films promoting key safe and sustainable travel advice and messages.

Figure 4: Arlo the Owl: Leeds City Council’s safe and sustainable travel mascot
Human-sized furry owl costume with outstretched arms wearing "West Yorkshire Vision Zero" t-shirt

8.5.3 National, regional and local campaigns and challenges

There is a growing calendar of national and regional campaigns that align with the Connecting Leeds and SMoTs strategy aims to facilitate more healthy, sustainable and safe journeys to schools and places of education. Some of the initiatives and campaigns currently supported and promoted in Leeds are outlined below. 

  • Active Travel Ambassadors (Modeshift) 
  • Active Travel Inspectors (Modeshift)
  • Travelwise Week (Modeshift) and World Car Free Day 
  • Little Feet (Living Streets) 
  • Walk Once a Week/Walk On Wednesdays (Living Streets)
  • Next Steps (Living Streets)
  • Walking Month / Walk to School Week (Living Streets) 
  • Big Walk and Wheel (Sustrans)
  • Bike Week (Cycling UK)
  • Clean Air Day (Global Action Plan)
  • Road Safety Week (Brake) 
  • My Health My School Survey 
  • School Games Organisers (Active Leeds) 
  • West Yorkshire Asthma Friendly Schools (Leeds Schools Wellbeing)

8.6 Active travel social prescribing

8.6.1 Pilot: Burmantofts, Richmond Hill and Harehills

Leeds City Council received £1.3m funding from the Department of Transport (DfT), to support the research, delivery, and evaluation of an active travel social prescribing pilot (ATSP) from October 2022 to October 2026 in the Burmantofts, Richmond Hill and Harehills Primary Care Network.

The purpose of ATSP is the social prescribing of walking, wheeling, and cycling to improve mental and physical health of Leeds residents through walking and cycling groups in Burmantofts, Harehills and Richmond Hill Primary Care Network.

8.6.2 Future plans/rollout

ATSP has embedded a family approach to engaging with communities and continues to offer activities to encourage active travel (walking, wheeling and cycling) within the local area. ‘Come and try’ events and holiday programmes have been the key drivers for the engagement of families.

ATSP continues to support local Bike Hubs at East End Park, Knowell Mount, and Shakespeare Primary School. A new bike hub in Harehills Park will be established in the spring-summer of 2025. The Bike Hubs support access to bikes and equipment and cycling providers, such as British Cycling, offer regular sessions for young people in those areas.

Young people have been involved in the design and creation of the 3 Urban Trails (Play, Sensory, Movement Trails) through working with local schools. This encourages young people to connect with local areas and fosters an interest in walking, wheeling and cycling.

8.7 Get Set Leeds - Local (Sport England funded)

Get Set Leeds – Local (GSL-L) is place based funding from Sport England that aims to tackle inactivity, increase levels of physical activity, reduce health inequalities in the most challenged and deprived communities and with the most under-represented groups in the city. It currently covers Beeston and Holbeck, Seacroft, New Wortley / Armley and the Gipton and Harehills ward areas.

Walking, wheeling and cycling are great ways for all ages to move more on a daily basis and connect people to their local community / environment. Some of the highlights of GSL-L work include:

  • walk and cycle leader training (skilling up local volunteers) in conjunction with partners such as the Ramblers and British Cycling
  • Providing bike maintenance support to the Seacroft Active Travel hub
  • developing scooter and balance bike activities through engaging with families and children at the New Wortley Community Centre
  • organising the “Move More” event at Cross Flatts Park, which attracted over 700 people and had a big focus on fun family cycling

8.8 Child Friendly Leeds Wishes

Leeds has a bold ambition - to be the best city for children and young people to grow up in. A place where children are valued, supported, enjoy living and can look forward to a bright future – a truly child-friendly city. Child Friendly Leeds has been a key part of the Leeds improvement journey since its launch in July 2012. 

The Child Friendly Leeds 12 wishes represent the voices of 80,000 children and young people in Leeds. The original Child Friendly Leeds 12 wishes were formed in 2012, the year Queen Elizabeth II visited and marked the beginning of the 'Child Friendly Leeds' initiative. 

10 years later, in 2022, the 12 wishes were refreshed by analysing up-to-date consultation data, including the beliefs of over 80,000 children and young people. Data came from: 

  • climate change youth summit meeting
  • children and young people wellbeing survey
  • Let's Talk About Leeds summit meeting
  • SEND youth summit meeting
  • UK Youth Parliament manifestos
  • Leeds children's mayor manifestos
  • community online consultations
  • Leeds 2023 (Year of Culture) consultations
  • Make Your Mark ballot 

Once the new wishes were formed in 2022, Child Friendly Leeds have made sure that the wishes encourage positive changes to take place. This has been done by:

  • appointing at least one Leeds City Council colleague as wish ‘lead’ for each wish and asking them to write short-term and long-term goals
  • working with the Leeds Youth Voice team to make sure children and young people are always involved in the discussion
  • posting updates about the wishes on our blog site and social media channels to keep children and families in the loop
  • linking the Leeds Children’s Mayor process to the wishes, so that children write their manifestos about one of the wishes
  • raising awareness of each wish through CFL social media channels
  • asking new CFL ambassadors to select the wishes they are interested in partnering on, when they complete our sign-up form

Three of the 12 wishes are particularly relevant to the SMoTs Strategy and especially Wish 6 and further information can be found at the following links: 

  • Wish 5: Protecting the environment from climate change
  • Wish 6: Children and young people can travel around the city safely and easily
  • Wish 9: Opportunities for making healthy choices and regular physical activity

9. Publish: Monitoring and evaluation

9.1 SMoTS Strategy and annual update reports

Local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure that their Sustainable Modes of Travel to School Strategy is reviewed and updated by 19 September each year. Leeds SMoTs Strategy is on the Leeds City Council website along with an annual progress report summarising activities that have taken place in the previous year and an update on progress made towards the targets set out in Section 2.3. Composite Prospectus

An online composite prospectus for all schools in Leeds is available and includes a summary of travel information that will be improved over the current Strategy period. 

9.2 Modeshift STARs accreditations

The STARS Education scheme recognises schools and other educational establishments that have shown excellence in supporting cycling, walking and other forms of sustainable and active travel. 

Modeshift STARS offers National Accreditation for sites that have demonstrated best practice in the implementation of their Travel Plan. Sites are awarded Approved, Good, Very Good, Excellent and Outstanding accreditation. Very Good and Excellent recognise sites that achieve a reduction in single-occupancy car journeys to/from their site and Outstanding recognises sites that achieved an increase in active travel modes.

Currently, Approved level accreditation is held for 10 years, whilst the other 4 levels of accreditation expire and need to be renewed annually. 

Schools can apply for travel plan accreditation three times a year (deadlines are 31 March, 31 July and 31 December). Regional award events are held with winners invited to a national awards ceremony.

Table 9: Number of schools in Leeds with Modeshift STARS accreditation (31 March 2025)

Accreditation level No of schools
Approved 6
Good 3
Very Good 0
Excellent 2
Outstanding 0
Total 11

9.3 Connecting Leeds Transport Strategy KPIs

Progress made towards delivering the Connecting Leeds Transport Strategy is summarised here in Action Plans.

10. Consultation and engagement

The following consultation and engagement took place during the drafting of this SMoTs Strategy:

10.1 Consultation

The following council teams and partners provided input into this SMoTs Strategy:

  • Assets and Access Team, Childrens and Families, LCC
  • Traffic Engineering, Highways and Transportation, LCC
  • Clean Air
  • Childhood Obesity
  • C&YPPA Steering Group
  • WYCA Schools Transport
  • Leeds Headteachers Forum

10.2 Engagement

Continuous engagement by council officers with school staff, parents/carers, pupils and communities living around schools is integral to the delivery of most of the projects, schemes and campaigns outlined in earlier sections. Key communications channels were set out in Section 8.5. 

In schools, staff engage with parents, pupils, local residents and school governors to develop and implement their Travel Plan which identifies barriers and helps determine which initiatives and promotions to implement. Schools are encouraged to set up a school travel working group involving the school, families and the wider community and to include the travel plan in school policy documents such as the school development plan.

Appendix A: Action plan

Action Duty Lead Frequency
Assess
Travel to school support for eligible mainstream pupils and families Assess Travel Entitlement, WYCA  Ongoing
Travel to school support for eligible SEND pupils and families Assess Children's Transport, LCC Ongoing
Travel to School data collection Assess Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Annual
Update SMoTs priority schools list Assess Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Every 2 years
Collect and analyse collision data Assess Transport Strategy, LCC Annual
School Crossing Patrol assessments Assess Civic Enterprise, LCC Ongoing
Audit
Map school accessibility (walking, cycling and public transport isochrones) Audit Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Once 2025-26
Overlay pupil home postcode mapping over accessibility to calculate propensity for modeshift (% pupils being driven within a reasonable active travel journey time) Audit Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Every 2 years
School infrastructure audit (onsite) Audit Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Every 2 years
Establish a school route audit methodology and mechanism to develop a pipeline of capital infrastructure schemes  Audit Travel Behaviour Change, Transport Strategy and Highways, LCC Once 2025-26
School route audits (offsite) Audit Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing subject to funding
Promote
Health and Wellbeing service offer for schools (including Active Schools+) Promote Health and Wellbeing Service, LCC Ongoing
School Crossing Patrol provision Promote Civic Enterprise, LCC Ongoing
Delivery of an ATF5 Access to Schools package Promote Transport Strategy, LCC 2025-26
Allocate capital scheme funding for Behaviour Change interventions in nearby schools Promote Transport Strategy, LCC Ongoing
Promote and offer School Travel Plan support via the Modeshift STARS for Education platform. Support accreditation applications. Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Ensure all new and expanding schools meet School Travel Plan policy standards Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Request and review Travel Plan monitoring data for planning obligated School Travel Plans Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Deliver practical safe and sustainable travel training Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Pedestrian Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Scooter Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Bikeability Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Mini Police Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Deliver safe and sustainable travel assemblies Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Deliver classroom based safe and sustainable travel training Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Deliver Theatre in Education safe and sustainable travel training Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Spilt Second Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Drive for Life Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Fast and Furious Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Pre- and Young Driver Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
One Life Lost Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Deliver support for school/community-led initiatives Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Walking Buses Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Bike Buses Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Park and Strides Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Promote and support partner-led initiatives Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Active Travel Ambassadors, Modeshift Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Active Travel Inspectors, Modeshift Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Walk Once a Week (WoW), Living Streets Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Little Feet, Living Streets Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Next Steps, Living Streets Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Promote and support partner-led campaigns Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Travelwise Week, Modeshift Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Annual
Big Walk and Wheel, Sustrans Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Annual
Road Safety Week, Brake Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Annual
Walk to School Week, Living Streets Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Annual
Bike Week, Cycling UK Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Annual
Clean Air Day, Global Action Plan Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Annual
Deliver additional School Streets subject to funding Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Support operational School Streets - promotional materials, parking services, police liaison Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Travel to School information provision Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Online Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC and WYCA Ongoing
Active Travel Maps Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
School Railing Banner Offer Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Safe and Sustainable Travel Mascot Promote Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Ongoing
Publish
Publish an annual progress report Publish Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Annual
Update Travel information for each school in a Composite Prospectus Publish Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Annual
Celebrate Modeshift STARS for Education accreditations Publish Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Annual
Produce a SMoTs 2030/31 - 2035/36  Publish Travel Behaviour Change, LCC Once 2030