Starting your school travel plan journey

Safer Travel Team's top-tips for completing your travel plan and using Modeshift STARS

• Site tab: The site tab is your homepage. Whenever you click through into another area of your plan such as opening or editing an initiative, you can return back to the site tab by clicking the upward facing arrow on top of the rectangle icon which has the text 'promote focus to site'.
• The key is in the cogs: To add anything new to your plan, such as a new initiative, a new target, or a new issue, you have to do this from the site tab and by clicking the cogs symbol in the toolbar located at the top right-hand of your screen.
• To edit: When you click into any of the tabs e.g. 'introduction', 'travel and transport' etc and wish to edit the content within this area of your plan, always click the pencil icon to edit. To edit an issue, target, or initiative etc, you will also need to click on the pencil icon to edit.
• Always save: Whenever you add or edit anything in your plan, always click 'save' at the bottom of the page. If you don't wish to save your amends, just click 'cancel'.
• Learn what the different colours mean: You'll see there are 3 colour schemes when you click in and edit your plan. If a field is highlighted in 'yellow', this means it's a mandatory field. If it's 'white', this means it's an optional field. If it's 'grey', this means it's a non-editable field.
• Don't mark your new initiatives complete until we sign off: If you input a new travel, supporting or consultation initiative, don't mark it as 'complete' until we've signed off the plan as you will no longer be able to edit it and we will have to delete it and then re-enter it. Just enter it as 'planned', and then change to completed once we've said the plan can be signed off.
• Don't lock any part of your plan: Don't lock any part of your plan by clicking on the padlock symbol as if you do and then a new travel plan coordinator takes over the monitoring of the plan, they can't edit anything and Modeshift support have to go through unlocking sections.
• Pupil and staff numbers are accurate: Always make sure your total pupil number and staff number is correct. You can do this by clicking on the 'introduction' tab and reviewing this information in the 'student information' and 'staff and volunteer information' sections. This information needs to be correct so you can conduct your pupil and staff surveys and make sure your participation rate is accurate.
• Complete all fields: Modeshift always update their sections and fields on a regular basis. For example, you may notice in the 'travel and transport' tab in the 'on-site facilities' section there are new inclusions such as 'number of parent waiting shelters' which is a new entrant since COVID-19. Please complete all sections of the 'introduction' and 'travel and transport' tabs, even if you're inputting a '0'.
• Identifying your issue: Spend some time on this section as it's the bedrock of your school travel plan. Don't jumble up multiple issues as one – always keep them separate. When inputting a new issue into your plan, always detail what the issue is and what the impact is on your school in the 'details' section. Always include a date of when it was first discovered and provide possible solutions that could help you solve the issue that have to be reflected in your targets for the next 12 months, and in your initiatives.
• Duplicating initiatives: If you can, it is best not to duplicate initiatives as two initiatives won't count towards your accreditation. If you have another initiative which is similar to another one, use the 'other' initiative codes under each section for example W16-18 'other walking / scooting initiative'. There are initiatives, however, which you could do year after year, such as Bikeability Cycle Training or WOW. It is good to keep a record of these on your plan, but please note that these won't count for more than one initiative each on your school travel plan.

In this section

• Frequently asked questions for schools already creating a travel plan
• Accrediting your first school travel plan with Modeshift STARS