Findings from recent school travel audit

We recently carried our bi-annual school travel audit. This year, primary schools and secondary schools were audited separately, with secondary schools and the Sixth Form Centre surveyed a few weeks earlier to avoid exam leave.

The spring 2026 audit found that 51% of primary school journeys were made by active means such as walking, cycling or scooting – unchanged from May 2025. However, cycling continues to grow in popularity, increasing from 9% to 11% over the same period. 

Despite wet and windy weather during the survey period, active travel rates remained resilient. Initiatives such as Family Bikeability sessions, introduced earlier this year, are thought to have boosted confidence among parents and children travelling by bike.

Some schools reported notable improvements. Vale Primary and La Houguette Primary saw significant increases linked to walking bus schemes, while Castel Primary recorded a rise following the introduction of a School Street pilot and safer cycling access. 

Meanwhile, active travel in secondary schools dipped slightly, from 38% in 2025 to 36% in 2026. However, morning journeys showed a small increase, rising from 34% to 35%, suggesting fewer students are being driven directly to school. Car use has also fallen from 40% to 38%. For the first time, the survey also examined the role of e-bikes, which accounted for 24% of active travel journeys among secondary school students – close to the 26% recorded for traditional bicycles. 

We will continue to monitor trends, particularly the growing role of e-bikes, as part of wider efforts to encourage healthier, more sustainable journeys to school.

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