London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 02, 2025

What is a School Street and how do they work?

What is a School Street and how do they work?

Outside Gayhurst Community School in Hackney, parents, teachers and children are walking and standing in the road - currently empty of cars. The road has been temporarily blocked off as part of the School Streets initiative, which aims to help reduce children’s exposure to air pollution during the school run.
Gayhurst was among the first schools to try the scheme in January 2018. Transport for London has now funded 430 new School Streets, 300 of which have already started.

The idea is simple. Each morning and afternoon, the road outside the school gates is temporarily closed to both school and through traffic.

The local authority applies a traffic management order to the street, temporarily restricting access to motorised vehicles — meaning that the street becomes a pedestrian and cycle-only zone. Campaigners say the result is a safer, healthier and more pleasant environment.

Emma Griffin is a parent and campaigner in north London who has three children at Gayhurst. The School Street hasn’t just helped in terms of air pollution, she says, noting: “It really changed the atmosphere and the life outside the school gate almost instantly.”

She also feels more confident about the air quality during the school run. “The school is on a very busy street with lots of buses going past and lots and lots of traffic,” she says.

“[Pollution] can have a devastating impact on children, including stunting the growth of their lungs, and people were just not paying enough attention to it but now it feels like it’s coming to the forefront.”

While large numbers of children do walk or cycle to school in London, not all children are able to for reasons of distance, because they have siblings at different schools or they have disabilities — those holding valid blue badges are exempt from the restrictions on School Streets.

Safety is another consideration for parents, especially for cycling. A recent survey commissioned by Sustrans found that 81 per cent of London parents say it is essential to make it easier and safer for families to walk and cycle to school.

While the School Streets scheme is popular with many parents and teachers, it isn’t a silver bullet for solving the problem of children’s exposure to air pollution. They are also exposed on the way to school and while in the playground.

Mary Creagh, chief executive of Living Streets, a charity that promotes everyday walking, notes that some parents are put off walking or cycling to school because they are now so worried about air pollution.

She says: “Families have told us they enjoy walking to school but concerns around rat runs and air pollution are putting them off.

“They want to see slower cars, safer crossings, and more School Streets.

“This helps families to choose walking — improving mental and physical health, reducing congestion and cleaning up London’s dirty air for everyone.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
×