best practice

Fellside Primary School, Whickham

Fellside Primary School is situated in close proximity to Whickham School (a large and popular comprehensive school), as well as Gibside Special School. So it has the potential to be a very congested site, but on the plus side, it has good access to local housing via many pedestrian and cycle-friendly routes.

In 2004 the headteacher, Mr Kevin Doran, submitted the first Fellside School Travel Plan, with a view to increasing the numbers of pupils walking and cycling to school. The travel survey at this time showed that while 43% of pupils walked to school, no pupils used a bike as their regular mode of transport. As a keen cyclist who regularly makes the journey to work from his home in Newcastle by bike, Mr Doran was eager to get some of his pupils cycling to and from school. He realised that safe storage might be an important issue for both pupils and parents, so he used the funding gained via the School Travel Plan (approx £5000) to provide a shelter where bikes could be securely stored. He also organised events such as 'Pedalling Picnics' to encourage pupils to get on their bikes.

So successful was this work, with Mr Doran himself acting as a marvellous role model, that within a couple of years the school's bike shelter was regularly full, and Gateshead Council's Cycling Officer provided further funding to extend the cycle storage provision. The school have also been able to make use of a local supermarket car-park as a 'Park and Walk' site for those families who feel that the car is their only option. The latest School Census figures show that 7% of pupils now usually cycle to school, whilst walking rates have risen to 58%. However, in the summer months these figures are even higher!