A focus on Hampshire schools
A focus on: Guillemont Junior School, Farnborough
How engaging with Modeshift STARS to meet a planning requirement helped the school recognise its wider benefits for pupils and families, leading to sustained commitment and progression to ‘Outstanding’ accreditation!
Guillemont Junior School began working with Hampshire County Council’s (HCC) Travel Planning Team in 2023 as a result of an expansion to their Resource Provision. Part of the planning condition was a requirement for the school to achieve a ‘Good’ level Modeshift STARS Travel Plan. The school quickly began to see the benefits of engagement in terms of an increase in active travel levels/decrease in congestion around the school site. This in turn having a positive impact: reduction in pollution, improved safety around the school site and benefits to the physical and mental wellbeing of their pupils and families. The result? Let’s carry on!
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Great oaks from little acorns grow! 🌰
The groundwork: 🥬
A key issue that the Travel Plan aimed to tackle from the off was the sheer number of cars coming all the way to school at drop off and collection. The newly formed working group considered how to start tackling this problem. Initial work included:
- Running active travel/road safety events and initiatives: The school began running a variety of events/initiatives to encourage active travel. Pupils really enjoy the events/initiatives, and the school has made event participation a regular thing. To name a few of the events/initiatives:
- Time to Shine
- Bling your Bike
- Basil Bird mascot (from the Travel Planning Team) walking with families between Pinewood and Guillemont
- Walktober
- The Clean Air Challenge
- Walk Wheel Cycle Trust’s Big Walk and Wheel
- The Golden Lock initiative (lock placed on a pupils bike/scooter and involves a small prize to reward cycling/scooting to school)
- Railings banner logo competition to design bespoke banner for school
- Life Skills trips – learning to use public transport
Some of the school's events and initiatives.
- Communication:
- The school began using all modes of communication to ensure the messaging around encouraging pupils/families to walk, wheel, scoot or cycle to school and reduce congestion reached their parents/carers: newsletter, social media, dedicated page on the school website and putting in place an Active Travel School Policy in conjunction with Pinewood Infant School.
An example of the information on the dedicated Active Travel webpage.
- Assembly:
- Regular assemblies with the school’s Junior Road Safety Officers (JRSOs) to talk about road safety and active travel.
- NSL, who is the parking enforcement delivery agent for HCC, delivered a school assembly to explore responsible parking, regulations, and road safety.
- Parkwise Campaign:
- The use of the Parkwise resources such as the Parkwise Promise leaflet and parent/carer letter.
- Traffic Watch:
- Rachel Hazell the Travel Planning Team lead supported the JRSOs to monitor traffic/parking outside school and encourage parents/carers to consider how and where they park. The team rewarded those who had parked considerately or who had travelled actively with a Parkwise sticker! The local councillor also supported this event.
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The shoots of success: 🌱
The impact of the work is evident. For example:
- There has been a modal shift in the number of cars coming all the way to school: 36.42% in 2023/2024 to 20.98% in 2025/2026.
- Walking rates have also increased: from 37.01% to 43.36% in the same timeframe as above.
- Observations through Traffic Watches also confirm that there is less congestion outside school and those families that do drive all the way, are in the main, parking with more consideration.
- During the school’s recent Ofsted visit, the school commented on how wonderful it was to share with the inspectors how their STARS work supports the personal development of the pupils, including pupil safety and development of life skills. The school also used examples from the travel plan to demonstrate how pupils are given leadership roles that encourage active citizenship and responsibility, as well as using the events and activities to enhance the in-class learning.
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Growth continues: 🌳
The school has an active working group and meet regularly to discuss progress/set targets/decide on events and initiatives. The group is supported by the local councillor.
They continue to strive to increase active travel rates and improve safety for example, a School Crossing Patrol was deemed justified and now in post.
The school is submitting for Outstanding STARS Travel Plan, which is an incredible achievement!
A huge well done to Guillemont Junior School. Fingers crossed your submission is approved.
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The school has provided a couple of great top tips:
- Plan and carry out one activity per term or half term,
- Make sure the SLT support the work, and you get support for your time,
- Use the resources from the Travel Planning Team (loads on their website) - they are great!
To read about other 'Focus on' schools choose an edition of the Modeshift STARS information leaflet below:
Edition 1: A focus on Fairfield Infant School, Havant
Edition 2: A focus on Brune Park Community School, Gosport
Edition 3: A focus on STARS School of the Year finalists
Edition 4: A focus on Ashurst Pre-School, New Forest
Edition 5: A focus on Lockerley Church of England Endowed Primary School, Romsey
Edition 7: A focus on Clanfield Junior School, Clanfield, Waterlooville
Edition 8: A focus on Fairfields Primary School, Basingstoke
If you would like your school to be showcased, please email: travelplans@hants.gov.uk