Tackling the school run: research study

Appendix C: Fieldwork Topic Guides

Scottish Government Tackling the School Run

School Staff Interview Topic Guide

A. Specific Initiatives

When discussing initiatives we would like you to think of anything at all that you or other partners ( e.g. the Local Authority, Sustrans, Cycling Scotland, Living Streets, Road Safety Scotland, Policy Scotland etc.) may have done which has impacted on how pupils travel to/from school. This may be infrastructure based ( e.g. building new, secure bike sheds; traffic management schemes and/or parking restrictions around the school; amended road layouts around the school; etc.), or some other type of initiative to raise awareness and encourage travel behaviour change, such as Bikeability, I-Bike, or cycling proficiency; Walk Once a Week, walk to school week, park and stride or a walking bus etc.

1. Do you have a school Travel Plan?

If yes:

• Is it aimed at staff only or does it include measures related to the school journey undertaken by pupils?
• Who has responsibility for this?
• To what extent is it promoted?
• How influential do you think it has been in encouraging travel behaviour change and particularly active travel use?

2. Has your school implemented any initiatives, either in the past or currently, which have aimed to change the way that pupils travel to school? [Repeat the list of questions below for each initiative available].

• What have these been?
• What was the aim of this/these?
• Who was it targeted at?
• Who led this initiative?
• How was it set-up and managed?
• How was the school community made aware of this initiative?
• What did the initiative entail?
• Were any other partners involved ( e.g. local authority, third sector, etc.)?
• Is it still ongoing?
• Is the initiative self-sustaining?

3. Has the Local Authority (or any other partners) implemented any initiatives or infrastructure projects, either in the past or currently, which have aimed to either change the way that pupils travel to the school OR address any traffic/road safety concerns around the school? [Repeat the list of questions below for each initiative available].

• What have these been?
• What was the aim of this/these?
• Who was it targeted at?
• Who led this initiative?
• How was it set-up and managed?
• How was the school community made aware of this initiative?
• What did the initiative entail?
• Were any other partners involved ( e.g. yourselves and/or other schools in the area, private contractors, third sector, etc.)?
• Is it still ongoing or self-sustaining?

Outcomes:

4. To what extent did the initiative(s) meet the aim(s)? [Cover all initiatives identified above]

5. What were the key performance indicators ( KPIs) or measures used to monitor progress/performance of the initiative? How did each element perform? (Probe for poor and good performance)

Probe for:

• Reduction in car travel/parking around the school?
• Health benefits and/or behaviour change ( e.g. increased physical activity)?
• Environmental benefits?
• Education/learning benefits ( i.e. Curriculum link)?
• Behavioural benefits?
• Number of beneficiaries ( i.e. scope of the initiative - whole school, certain year groups - which ones)?

• Any others?

6. How big, and how lasting an impact did the initiative(s) have? What was the impact on travel choices around the school in general, and on sustainable travel in particular?

7. Did any initiative(s) have more of an impact on certain age groups and/or from a gender point of view?

8. Were any of the initiatives linked to the Curriculum and related classroom activities/learning? [If so, probe what this involved and success/views of linking Curriculum to transport].

9. What, in your opinion, were the main drivers of any successful and/or less successful outcomes of the initiative(s)? [Cover all initiatives identified above]

Probe for:

• Infrastructure?
• School, family, or wider community culture?
• School, family or wider community attitudes?
• Resources/ people involved (including any key staff, local authority staff and/or other stakeholders)?
• Partnership working?
• Availability of funding?

10. Are you aware of the pupil and/or parent perceptions of the initiative(s)?

• What is this perception?
• How have you generated this feedback?
• Has their perception changed over time?

11. In your opinion, how transferrable would these approaches and their success be in other schools? Were there any unique elements/criteria that would need to be replicated or may be difficult to duplicate in other areas?

Problems Encountered:

12. Were any problems encountered either in setting-up or during these initiatives? Please describe any significant problems.

13. What impact did these problems have on:

• The implementation?
• Resourcing?
• Any partnership working?
• Overall success of the initiative?
• Any other impacts?

14. How were any problems tackled and how well were they overcome?

B. Wider Factors - Infrastructure, Culture, Resources and Attitudes

15. What impact has infrastructure ( e.g. safe routes/crossings, school cycle parking, lockers etc) had on travelling to school by alternatives to the car?

16. Are you aware of whether safety, or the perception of safety, is a factor in determining choices around how pupils travel to school? [ IF YES: What examples would you give?]

17. Are free school buses provided for pupils in this school? What is the catchment distance for pupils to be eligible? Are the buses well used by those who are eligible? Is there any other feedback about the services?

18. Are there viable public transport alternatives that pupils could use ( e.g. train or regular scheduled bus services)? Are there any factors ( e.g. cost, timing of services) which impact on use? Do these services make a difference to the level of walking, cycling and scooting/skateboarding?

19. How do most of your staff travel to school? Do all your staff take part in any initiatives to encourage sustainable travel by pupils? (By sustainable we wish to consider the broad range of measures, including car sharing/pooling, public transport, using the school bus, and the increase of active modes like walking and cycling).

20. Are there any aspects of the school design which could be different to support access for pupils and/or staff walking, cycling or arriving by bus?

21. Do you consider there to be a culture within the wider local community which promotes the use of public transport, walking or cycling? ( if yes: Probe re any specific initiatives)

22. What element(s) do you think are more influential in promoting sustainable travel experienced at your school? [Prompt: infrastructure; initiatives; culture; availability of resources; and/or personal attitudes]. (Again, by sustainable we wish to consider the broad range of measures, including car sharing/pooling, public transport, using the school bus, and the increase of active modes like walking and cycling).

23. Is there anything else you would like to tell us about travel to/from the school or any of the infrastructure or initiatives which impact upon this, either directly or indirectly, which we have not already covered?

Scottish Government Tackling the School Run Study

Pupil Mini-Group Interview Topic Guide

Travel Patterns

1. Establish:

• How pupils get to/from school ( i.e. walk, cycle, scoot/skate, park and stride, school bus, normal bus service, driven (establish any car sharing), taxi or other).
• How often they travel this way ( i.e. daily, once or twice a week, less often, etc.).
• Does this differ by time of year ( e.g. between summer and winter) or by weather conditions ( e.g. when it's windy or raining and when it's warm and sunny)?

2. How long does it take you to get to school?

3. Who do you go to/from school with? [ probe: for on your own, with a parent/carer, with a brother or sister (are these older or younger?), or with friends?]

4. How did you travel to primary school when you were younger? (or for secondary pupils) How did you travel to primary school?

Initiatives

Briefly outline any initiatives that the school or local area does.

5. Have you heard of this/these? Do you know what it is?

6. What do you think of this? Is it a good idea or a bad idea? Why do you say that?

7. Does this have any effect on your or your parents/carers choices for traveling to/from school? If yes: What effect does it have?

Attitudes Towards Different Modes

8. What do you think about walking and cycling to school? Is it a good idea or a bad idea? Why do you say that?

9. If you walk or cycle to school, why do you choose to do this? [Prompt: always have done; want to; friends walk/cycle and want to spend time with them; healthier; parents make me; no other choice etc]

10. Are there are other ways that you could get to school, for example by car, bus or train? If you use these, why? If you don't use these, whose choice is it not to, yours or your parents? Do you know why they don't use these to get you to/from school?

11. In general, what do you think about the other ways of getting to and from school?

12. Is there anything else we haven't covered that you'd like to tell me about the way you travel to and from school?

Scottish Government Tackling the School Run

Parent / Guardian Interview

Q1. How long do you think it should take me to get to school?

Q2. How do I usually travel to school? (walk, cycle, scoot/skate, school bus, normal bus, car to the school gate, park somewhere nearby then walk, taxi, or other?)

Q3. Why do I travel this way?

Q4a. Do I have any other choices for how I get to school? What are these?

Q4b. Why don't I travel to school using these other ways?

Q5a. Do you know of anything my school or the Council has done to get pupils to travel by ways other than the car? (For example, is there a Walking Bus, is there cycle training, are certain roads closed at the start and end of the school day, etc?)

Q5b. How did you find out about any of the things done by the school and/or Council?

Q5c. Do you think these things work? Did/do they make a difference to how I travel to school?

If you have little brothers or sisters at the same school as you, please also ask Q5d.

Q5d. Do these things make a difference to how my little brother or sister travels to school?

Q6. What do you think helps pupils not to be driven to school?

Q7. Who do you think should be helping me and my friends get to school not using a car? (For example, parents, the school, the Council, the Scottish Government, etc?)

Q8. Do you think more could be done to get more pupils to travel more often by walking, cycling, scooting/skateboarding or public transport? What could be done to help?

Scottish Government Tackling the School Run

Stakeholder/Local Authority Topic Guide

1. Can you give me an overview of your role in promoting sustainable travel at any/all of the case study schools? (By sustainable we wish to consider the broad range of measures, including active modes like walking, cycling, scooting/skateboarding as well as park and stride, public transport and car sharing/pooling.)

2. Were there clear role and responsibilities between the school and yourselves? [Probe: Memorandum of Understanding/Service Level Agreement with Authority]

3. How successful was the relationship between yourself and the school? How was this relationship established and maintained? How effective were the communication channels between all the partners?

4. Is this initiative(s) still ongoing at the school? Are you still involved at this point? Is/was there a plan/process for the school to take sole management/responsibility for the Initiative?

Outcomes:

5. What is/was the aim(s) of the initiative(s)?

6. To what extent did the initiative(s) meet the aim(s)?

7. What were the key performance indicators ( KPIs) or measures used to monitor progress/performance of the initiative? How did each element perform?

Probe for:

• Reduction in car travel/parking around the school?
• Health benefits and/or behaviour change ( e.g. increased physical activity)?
• Behavioural benefits?
• Environmental benefits?
• Education/learning benefits ( i.e. Curriculum link)?
• Number of beneficiaries ( i.e. scope of the initiative - whole school, certain year groups - which ones)?
• Any others?

8. Were there any unexpected benefits or residual impacts of the initiative(s)? If so, what were these?

9. How big, and how lasting an impact did the initiative(s) have? What was the impact on travel choices around the school in general, and on sustainable travel in particular?

10. What, in your opinion, were the main drivers of any successful and/or less successful outcomes of the initiative(s)? [Cover all initiatives identified above]

Probe for:

• Infrastructure?
• School, family, or wider community culture?
• Resources/ people involved (including any key staff, local authority staff and/or other stakeholders)?
• Partnership working?
• School, family or wider community attitudes?
• Availability of funding?

11. Are you aware of the pupil and/or parent perceptions of the initiative(s)?

• What is this perception?
• How have you generated this feedback?
• Has their perception changed over time?

12. In your opinion, how transferrable would these approaches and their success be in other schools? Were there any unique elements/criteria that would need to be replicated or may be difficult to duplicate in other areas?

Problems Encountered:

13. Were any problems encountered either in setting-up or during the initiative(s)? Please describe any significant problems.

14. What impact did these problems have on:

• The implementation?
• Resourcing?
• Any partnership working?
• Overall success of the initiative?
• Any other impacts?

15. How were any problems tackled and how were they overcome?

16. Knowing what you do about sustainable travel, what else do you think needs to happen to tackle the school run and reduce the number of pupils travelling by car to/from school?

• Financers Only:

17. To what extent did you fund this initiative? (Minimal, part funded, joint funded, fully funded?)

18. Was/is ongoing funding required or was it a one-off resource that was provided? If Appropriate: How will the initiative be funded in the future?

19. How did this initiative(s) compare to others that you have funded/refused for funding?