Hampshire Schools
Starting a new school
Moving to a new school is a big step for parents as well as children. Not only is your child embarking on their first taste of infant, junior or secondary school education, but they are also going to a new location which involves an unfamiliar and new journey. Here you will find information and resources to support you with planning a safe, active journey to your new school.
How could you travel to school? - for Year R and 3
The How could you travel to school? booklet offers a practical guide for Hampshire parents and carers about safer, active and sustainable travel to school. It contains information and tools to help you plan your journey and find out the options available when your child starts a new school.
Each year we invite children to enter the "How could you travel to school?" drawing competition. Last year we asked children to draw what they may have seen or heard on their journey to school that brings them joy. We received some wonderful entries and are pleased to announce the winners and runners up for 2023. All winners received a voucher for a day out at a Hampshire attraction and runners up won a Treasure Trails voucher. Thank you to everyone who entered.
Transition Time information leaflets - for Year R, 3 and 7
These leaflets have been designed for you and your children as they transition to a new school, and will help lead you through the process of planning your new journey to school and, as much as is possible, keeping it active, safe, pollution-free and sustainable.
They each contain a link to an 8-minute, original and humorous Histrionics film commissioned by the My Journey Team to inspire your children in a fun and educational way. There are also follow-up activities, hints, tips and links to resources to ensure you have all the information you need to make positive active travel choices whenever possible which will make a difference not only to the health of your child but to the sustainability of the planet.
Please select the relevant year group for your child to download the age-appropriate leaflet:
Starting Year R: EYFS, Reception, Infant School
Starting Year 3: Key Stage 2, Junior School
Starting Year 7: Key Stage 3, Secondary School
Just the Journey maps - for Year 7
The Just the Journey maps have been developed to assist new Year 7 pupils as they adjust to their new, independent travel to secondary school.
They give you information on how to plan you journey to your new school, showing you how long it takes to walk or cycle depending on where you live.
Click here to see if your new school has one.
More transition resources
The Way2Go Transition booklet is a great resource for helping your child start their new secondary school. Packed full of information and activities to help them plan their route and get to school safely.
Click here for a printable version or here for one to complete on-line.
The HCC Road Safety Team want to support you with the next stage of their journey to and from school, which may be their first regular independent journey.
This Transition newsletter gives them some great tips to help them plan their journey
Read it here.
The RouteGuard app is a great way of allowing parents and carers to actively engage with their young people, planning routes and agreeing the boundaries for safe and independent travel. RouteGuard pairs an app on the parent's phone with an app on the young person's device and allows the parent or carer to select a series of safe zones or roads to be added to the young person’s profile. The parent would then receive a notification if their child moves out of the agreed safe zone.
Ask your school if they have signed up to RouteGuard, they can then provide you with their organisation code which will allow you to use the app.