Your Awards Scheme Questions Answered

You indicate that progress to each award level takes 4 school terms. Can progress from Bronze, through Silver and onto Gold be achieved in a shorter time period?

While it is in the interest of the programme to assist schools to progress to Gold level as quickly as possible, time is needed to give depth to the programme and embed TravelWise into the school culture and curriculum. In order to gain diligence in travel planning, the quickest time period to go from Bronze through to Gold level is eight school terms or two years.

What if we’re implementing our travel plan and fulfilling the criteria but are having difficulty reaching the 4% car trip reduction target to get to Gold level?

Gaining a 4% reduction in school car journeys may be more of a challenge for some schools than for others to achieve within the target period. Some schools may consequently stay in the silver phase for more than four terms.

The 4% car reduction target for moving to Gold level includes capturing a large range of initiatives so schools with limited ability to increase the levels of walking, cycling, bus and public transport still have an opportunity to achieve success.

A relaxing of the 4% car trip reduction target may be considered where extenuating external factors beyond the schools influence can be demonstrated - provided the school is excelling in other ways or where an alternative target or measure of success has been mutually agreed by all partners.

What happens if we reach the 4% modal change for Gold level but then our results dip down the next year?

A decline in use of sustainable modes despite ongoing promotion will signal that greater diligence is required in monitoring and evaluating the impact of TravelWise activities and a schools award status may need to be reviewed if there is no improvement.

Schools won’t necessarily lose their Gold status if they have a poor roll-call survey result one year provided that they have a plan in place to identify and address the cause for the rise in car use, and the school should continue to actively engage in TravelWise activities at least to the level of activity as defined in the Gold Award criteria.

For more information about the Awards scheme, please Contact Us or speak to your School Travel Coordinator.