More than 1,000 London schools have struck ‘Gold’ with TfL programme to increase walking and cycling

Students at more than 1,000 London schools have made significant progress in reducing car use on the school run and increasing walking and cycling, bringing benefits for health and air quality, as part of Transport for London’s (TfL’s) schools programme.

TfL has recorded a year-on-year increase of 283 schools that have achieved Gold Accreditation with its TfL Travel for Life schools programme, coming in at a total of 1,009 schools at the end of August. The programme, running since 2004, comprises free educational programmes for schools for children aged 3 to 17, and is delivered in partnership with London Transport Museum and all London boroughs. It inspires children to travel actively, responsibly and safely, and, to reach Gold accreditation, schools must reduce car use by six per cent or achieve 90 per cent of the school run being made on sustainable transport.

Over the last academic year Barking and Dagenham, Harrow, Kensington and Chelsea, Lewisham and Westminster have at least doubled the number of their schools achieving Gold accreditation, with Harrow increasing from 12 to 27 schools. Waltham Forest currently has the highest proportion of its schools engaged at any level with TfL Travel for Life, with almost nine in 10 taking part, whilst Lambeth saw the biggest year-on-year increase of engaged schools, almost doubling the number over the last year.

St Helen’s College in Uxbridge has reached Gold accreditation for the third time. The achievements of its students over the years include sourcing money for new scooter parking and funding from London borough of Hillingdon to go towards road safety and active travel initiatives at the school. Other initiatives include sessions led by sixth form students for younger year groups on hate crime and racism.  

The new academic year has begun with a series of TfL Travel for Life visits to schools across London. Schools that are not yet involved with the programme are being encouraged to find out more and sign up, to help reap the benefits of walking and cycling, and reducing car use.

TfL's Chief Health, Safety & Environment Officer, Lilli Matson, said: “TfL Travel for Life has gone from strength to strength, empowering children to make safer and healthier choices about how they travel. We’ve achieved a major milestone of 1,000 London schools at Gold accreditation, but we would love to see every school in the capital benefit from the fun and engaging programme and the benefits it brings for health and air quality. If your school isn’t involved yet with TfL Travel for Life, find out more by visiting our website or getting in touch - this could be the start of your school’s journey to a safer and more sustainable future.”

Will Norman, London's Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said: “It is fantastic that over 1,000 London schools have achieved the highest level of accreditation with TfL’s schools Travel for Life programme. Each additional school that gains ‘Gold’ accreditation helps deliver real benefits to both the environment and people’s health.

“TfL's Travel for Life is helping the next generation of Londoners understand both the importance and the joys of active travel so I’m delighted that the programme is continuing to expand as we build a greener and safer London for everyone.”

Fenella Goodhart, Director of Learning and Participation at London Transport Museum, said: “As an education and heritage charity, we’re incredibly proud to collaborate with Transport for London and the London Boroughs to deliver TfL Travel for Life. It’s fantastic to see schools and their students working together to make greener choices that will shape a brighter, healthier, and more sustainable city. With more schools than ever before achieving Gold accreditation, we look forward to seeing even more join this growing commitment to a greener future for London.”

Sylvie Igidbashian PSHE lead at Gifford Primary in Ealing, which achieved Gold accreditation in August, said: “The best thing about TfL Travel for Life is seeing children empowered to make a difference. Whether it’s taking part in events like Walk to School Week, joining our travel working group, or simply choosing to walk instead of drive, pupils feel ownership and pride in their contributions. The programme has also given us access to resources and support that make these initiatives both fun and effective.”

Walking or cycling to school rather than using the car has numerous benefits. Reducing the number of cars on the road cuts levels of harmful nitrogen oxides from exhaust emissions and the emission of tiny particles, and reduces road danger, and the NHS says that physical activity reduces the risk of several health conditions and can boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reduce the risk of stress.^[1]

TfL’s Safer Junctions programme aims to improve safety in areas across London with higher-than-average collision rates. In 2017 TfL published a list of the 73 most dangerous junctions in London with the highest number of collisions involving pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists between 2012 and 2015. So far improvements have been completed at 45 of those 73 junctions, with the improvements cutting the number of collisions at junctions at locations including Clapham Road and Union Road in Lambeth, and Kennington Road Park Road and Braganza Street.

TfL is also currently investing more than £87m across London boroughs and the City of London to make the capital’s streets safer, heathier and greener. The investment is working to create new cycle routes to strengthen London's growing network of Cycleways, more pedestrian crossings in local neighbourhoods and funding to support School Streets schemes, enabling children and young people to walk and cycle to school safely.

TfL supports the Mayor of London's transport strategy for a brighter, safer and sustainable London, championing active travel. This is in support of Vision Zero, which aims to eliminate serious injuries and deaths from London's transport network, and the Healthy Streets approach to improve air quality, reduce congestion and help make London's diverse communities greener and healthier.

Through Vision Zero for London TfL is delivering a programme of measures to eliminate serious injuries and deaths, including supporting boroughs to introduce more than 800 School Streets*, lowering speeds to help reduce collisions, ensuring vehicles are designed with active and passive safety measures to reduce the risk they pose, engaging and educating people about travelling safely and, in partnership with London’s police services, taking enforcement action against people acting dangerously. Measures to improve the safety of public transport include the Bus Safety Programme, with its Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) and more help reduce deaths and serious injuries on or involving buses. Provisional TfL figures show that 47 per cent (169) fewer children under 16 were killed or seriously injured in 2024 compared to the baseline (2010-2014 average).

TfL Travel for Life is one of several key achievements on the London transport network that have been commemorated in a series of posters to mark TfL’s 25^th anniversary. The posters can be seen across the network and also highlight achievements including the introduction of free travel for children in 2005, the first Cycleway launching in 2019 and the launch of the Care Leaver Oyster photocard last year.