GROSVENOR HOUSE
PUPIL REFERRAL UNIT
SCHOOL TRAVEL PLAN
2009
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CONTENTS
1 Introduction
2 Location
3 Catchment area
4 Accommodation / school gate
5 Analysis of travel to school
6 Issues identified
7 Travel analysis
8 Reviewing and monitoring the plan
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Introduction
Grosvenor House Pupil Referral Unit
30 Victoria Park
Herne Bay
Kent
CT6 5BL
Tel: 01227 375397
Grosvenor House is a Pupil Referral Unit for key stage three pupils aged between 11 and 14. All of the pupils who attend the unit will have been either permanently excluded or with us on a time out basis in the hope of preventing future exclusion. All pupils at the unit display behavioural, social and emotional difficulties which affects their behaviour in school and in the community.
At any one time the unit can accommodate 16 pupils all of whom attend on a full time basis. The school day stretches from 8.50 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. However due to the need for individual learning plans pupils do arrive and leave the building at different times throughout the day. Furthermore pupils only attend the unit for a limited time span often for a maximum of six months but often less, consequently in a year we can deal with in excess of 30 pupils.
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Grosvenor House location
The attached map shows the location of the school in relation to its catchment area, bus routes and railway station.
The unit is well served by public transport. Busses stop on the high street which is a two minute walk from the centre along well lit and well surfaced roads and footpaths. The railway station is approximately 15 minutes walk from the school, but pupils have to walk through a park which although has well lit paths can be fairly isolated and lonely first thing in the morning.
For pupils that travel by cycle there are no designated cycle paths within the vicinity of the school, although for pupils in the local area the roads are generally quiet.
Our catchment area
Grosvenor house has a wide catchment area. Although the PRU is based in the Canterbury Coastal cluster the majority of its pupils come from the Canterbury and City cluster. Due to its location on the coastal strip we regularly take pupils from the swale clusters and could potentially take children from the Thanet cluster. The situation is further complicated by looked after children who may move care placement but may still attend the unit in an attempt to keep part of their life settled. Consequently our catchment area over the past five years has stretched from Sheppey in the west, to Sandwich to the east, and down to Chartham in the south.
Before commencing at the PRU all pupils attend an admission meeting, and part of the meeting will be to arrange travel details from home to the PRU each day. All students who live more than three miles from the centre are entitled to free transport and receive either a bus or train pass. Local students have the option to walk or cycle to school. Occasionally a pupil with an assessment of special educational needs will be allocated a taxi if it is felt that independent travel will present a risk to their safety. On average we have one pupil at anyone time who needs a taxi. Similarly a parent driving their pupils to school is not a usual occurrence.
Accommodation/School gate
Grosvenor house is a three storey Victorian house situated in a residential area in the middle of Herne Bay. The road at the front of the building is taken up with 1 hour limit parking bays and no school entrance markings or Restrictions (Council refused marking the road in 2005). To the rear of the building is a small car park which caters for Grosvenor house PRU and the adjoining Year Ten alternative curriculum project. Pupils are not allowed to be in the car park unsupervised.
The school has access to its own thirteen seater mini bus which is used regularly to take pupils off site for activities and events.
Current analysis of travel to school
Pupils / Distance travelled
Distance / 0-3 miles / 3-6 miles / 6-10 miles / 10+milesNo of pupils / 2 / 8 / 3 / 2
The difference in numbers between the number of pupils and the total in the method of travel column is attributed to pupils cycling to the station then travelling by train with their cycles and then cycling from the station to school
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Staff / Distance travelled
Distance / 0 – 3 miles / 3 – 6 miles / 6-10 miles / 10+milesNo of staff / 7 / 0 / 0 / 3
With the exception of two pupils all the students at Grosvenor house either walk, cycle or use public transport to travel to school. This accounts for 89.5% of pupils arriving at school by methods other than car.
By comparison when the same study was taken by the staff team we found that only 3 out of 9 staff did not drive to work i.e. 67% drove. No other reason for this could really be attributed other than convenience as 56% of the staff team live within one mile and 78% live within 3 miles
Survey of preferred method of travel to school
Pupils
Method of travel / Walk / Bus / Taxi / Train / Car / CycleCurrently / 2 / 9 / 1 / 4 / 1 / 3
Preferred / 10 / 4 / 7
During PHSE lessons and assembly time pupils were asked what their preferred method of travel to school would be and all pupils said that they would like to travel by car to school. Since this was not a positive development we re- phrased the question to if you could not travel by car how would you prefer to get to school. The figures show popularity for cycle travel and a preparedness to use public transport.
Staff
Method of travel / Walk / Cycle / Drive / Car shareCurrently / 2 / 1 / 5 / 2
Preferred / 2 / 4 / 2 / 2
In discussion with staff it was found that the staff team’s changes in preference were more difficult to categorise as cars were often needed to visit different work locations which would be impossible to reach within a reasonable time frame by other forms of transport. It was also noted that for staff that lived further away too many changes would be required en route to make the journey feasible, and where possible staff were already car sharing. But again those that were willing to consider a change suggested cycling as a possibility
Issues Identified
· Pupils are happy to travel by public transport however they would like access to the building when they arrive in the mornings particularly on wet days. This will create an issue re supervision
· By encouraging more pupils to travel by cycle this will create pressure on the storage area for bikes which is currently in a locked garage with other school equipment
· Due to the location of the school in the centre of town there would need to be a programme in awareness of road safety and cycling skills if more pupils were to arrive by cycle
· To comply with road safety legislation safety and maintenance procedures would need to be put into place if pupils are to cycle to school
· Staff who have said that they would like to cycle do not because they do not own bikes and do not have the resources to purchase them.
· The building is not clearly identifiable from the street as a school therefore pupils entering and leaving the site need to show extra vigilance for passing traffic whether they are cycling or walking
Aims and Objectives
· Improve access to school in the mornings
· Increase the number of pupils walking or cycling to the centre
· Raise awareness of safety issues when travelling to school
· Make alternative forms of transport available to staff
· Increase the visibility of the school to passing motorists
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OBJECTIVE / ACTION / RESPONSIBILITY / COMPLETION TARGETImprove morning access to building / Provide shelter with seating in grounds / Headteacher/Administrator / October 2009
Increase numbers walking /cycling to school / Install cycle racks within a secure area / Headteacher/Administrator / October 2009
Raise the awareness of safety issues / a) Provide cycling proficiency training
b) Organise cycle maintenance classes
c) Investigate possibility of providing subsidised safety equipment / Headteacher /connexions worker
Headteacher/Connexions worker
Administrator / January 2010
January 2010
September 2009
Provision of other forms of transport / a) provide pool of cycles for staff to use
b) Investigate use of county cycle to work scheme / Administrator
Administrator/KCC / September 2009
May 2009
Increase road users awareness of children in the vicinity / Request school entrance markings at school driveway / Council / September 2009
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Consultation
Pupils were talked to individually and as a group during morning registration and within PHSE lessons throughout the week beginning Monday 9/2/2009. Their ideas were summarised and presented back to them for final approval.
During the same week the school travel plan was discussed as an agenda item at the weekly staff team meeting
Reviewing and monitoring the travel plan
This travel plan was written by Gary Davis (Headteacher) and Ian Sleet (administration Officer) in February 2009 and was developed in consultation with Michelle Mathews, School Travel Advisor Kent County Council.
The plan will be reviewed annually in January by the head in conjunction with the Administrator.
Following a change in pupil or school requirement the plan will be revised accordingly.
This travel plan has been accepted and approved by the Headteacher and chair of
management committee.
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Gary Davis
Head teacher
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Alan Norley
Chair of management committee