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Road safety working with schools
The council works with school communities to:
- encourage active travel (walking, parking and striding, scooting and cycling) to and from school to reduce the number of car trips
- improve the safety of the school journey to reduce the number of pedestrian and cyclist injuries
- educate children and work with the community to introduce measures to reduce vehicle speeds around schools. On this page, you’ll find information about Portsmouth Smart Steps, school travel plan ideas, and road safety sessions for schools.
Special edition for 2020/2021
This year, schools are having to change the way they work, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get involved in the Junior Road Safety Officer (JRSO) programme! The programme will be scaled back this year but pupils can still get involved and aim to win a fantastic prize for their school!
Please read our special edition Junior Road Safety Officer Handbook for this year and find out how to and run a successful JRSO programme in your school and stay safe.
There will be no Champion of Champs this year but your school can still work towards the bronze, silver and gold Smart Steps in order to win that amazing prize! Read more inside our Junior Road Safety Officer Handbook.
Portsmouth Smart Steps
Our road safety team is giving all primary and junior schools in Portsmouth the chance to work towards a road safety award through the Portsmouth Smart Steps scheme.
Portsmouth Smart Steps is an awards scheme which rewards schools that get pupils, parents and staff travelling actively and safely to school. The scheme encourages schools across the city to join in a major effort to increase levels of sustainable and active travel, in order to improve the health and well-being of children and young people.
Schools can take part for free. When activities are completed, schools will receive a Bronze, Silver or Gold award.
How does it work?
Participating schools select eight pupils to be Junior Road Safety Officers (JRSOs) who, with support from road safety officers and teachers, complete activities like attending events, running competitions in school, leading assemblies and inviting speakers into school. Once a Portsmouth Smart Steps award is achieved, schools may go forward to compete with schools across the region for a coveted place at the Champion of Champions event.
How do schools take part?
If your school has not yet registered for the scheme, email us to get started!
Resources for Junior Road Safety Officers (JRSOs):
- Download the Junior Road Safety Officer Handbook
- Road safety resources for educators at brake.org
- Resources for pupils, teachers and parents from Think!
- Resources for teachers from The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
- Road safety week resources November 2022
- Road safety resources for 3-5 years olds with Super Bob
School travel plan ideas
We will create school travel plans, which encourage and enable children to walk or cycle to and from school, and help schools develop travel plan objectives, for example:
Walking:
- set up a walking bus
- child pedestrian training
- walk to school month activities
- alternative entry points and routes
- mapping and marking of safer routes
Cycling:
- secure visible storage for bikes and helmets,
- cycle training,
- maintenance lessons,
- alternative entry/access points
Bus & train:
- concessionary fares
- provide improved information
- private minibuses
- consultation with bus company
Engineering measures:
- reducing the speed limit near the school
- improving pedestrian crossing points, especially at preferred routes to school
- building speed-reducing features (road humps, junction tables, speed cushions, chicanes, etc) to reinforce reduced speed limits
- cycle lanes
- improved street lighting on busy road and quiet paths
Road safety sessions for schools
We offer a variety of road safety activities aimed at different school age groups:
Key stage 1
- Pompey Monster Walk to School Challenge
- Loan of ‘street feet’ and lesson plan – indoor play session to learn the Green Cross Code
Key stage 2
- Transition year walking and cycling training for 10 and 11 year olds
- Bikeability Level 1 and 2 cycle training
- Modeshift STARS (includes a variety of road safety schemes)
- Pompey Monster Walk to School Challenge
Key stage 3
- bikeability cycle training level 3 (and level 2 catch up sessions)
- Street Skills: cycle safety for Year 8 and 9 pupils
More information
For more information, contact our road safety team:
- email them at roadsafety@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or
- write to them at:
Transport and environment
Portsmouth City Council
Civic Offices
Portsmouth
PO1 2NE