School play streets

Want children to be safe outside the school gate?

School play streets are an adaptation of our play street model; short temporary road closures outside a school gate at the start and end of the school day, with volunteer stewards looking after the closure points.

If it’s something more permanent you’re looking for, read more about School Streets. School play streets can build the case for the permanent model.

Great reasons to do school play streets:

• Removing cars creates space for play before or after school
• Vastly improved air quality outside the school gate
• Encourages active travel to school – walking, scooting, cycling
• Brings the whole school community together in an informal way, enables school staff to improve relationships with parents and children
• A more relaxed and enjoyable start and end to the school day for everyone
• Increased safety for everyone
• School play streets can introduce the idea and build support for permanent school streets (timed closures everyday) – lots more information about those here.

In July 2020, we ran a webinar called Play and School Streets: Why, When and How? with speakers from Sustrans, Leeds and Southampton Councils. You can watch it for free here.

School play streets – a step by step manual

– for schools, parents, residents who want to organise school play streets.

Building on the brilliant work done by our friends at Hackney Play Association, with our partners Sustrans we have co-written a step-by-step manual to organising a school play street.

Download it freely here.

There’s also some really useful tips about school play streets on the Hackney Play website here.

Watch our 18min instructional film made with Sustrans and forward on to residents/ school communities.

The film covers:

• preparing a very simple traffic management plan
• signage and barriers – different kinds and how to use them safely
• dealing with traffic and drivers on the day

The film is also on youtube here. You are welcome to embed this on your own website.