Parents want their children to walk to school, but what holds them back?

Commissioned by Surrey County Council and delivered through the University’s Institute for Sustainability Innovation Hub, the report looked at how schools across the UK and internationally are encouraging families to walk, cycle or wheel to school instead of driving. 

The report’s authors found that while families are generally supportive of safer, more active travel, they’re often held back by concerns over road safety, time pressures and infrastructure. 

The most effective initiatives, the report argues, are those that bring together schools, local authorities, planners and families to tackle these issues head-on. 

The research team reviewed travel initiatives in the UK, Europe and beyond, including Canada, Australia and Brazil. They found that even young children can play a crucial role in influencing their parents’ school run choices, especially when schools engage children through activities, lessons or competitions. 

Surrey researchers conducted two focus groups with staff and caregivers at Surrey schools, analysed a range of international case studies, and reviewed both academic and grey literature. They used the COM-B model – which looks at capability, opportunity and motivation – to understand what stops or supports families from choosing active travel on the school run. 

The findings will help shape the Council’s new School Travel Effectiveness of Planning (STEP) tool, designed to measure what’s working – and what is not – in encouraging active school travel across Surrey.