School safe environment zones (SSEZ)
The School Safe Environment Zones (SSEZ) programme was the Council’s approach to delivering road safety and congestion improvements for schools across Swindon over the five year period, 2020 to 2025.
The SSEZ’s saw a review of the roads around Swindon’s 91 schools. The review encompassed a package of measures that aimed to encourage behavioural change, whilst improving safety outside and in the vicinity of schools.
Each SSEZ created was bespoke to each school’s individual needs and could have comprised of one or more of the following features:
- Road signs
- Flashing wigwags (School Flashing Amber Lights)
- Waiting restrictions – typically mandatory, School Keep Clear markings
- Localised speed limit change
- Traffic calming features, vertical or horizontal
- Pedestrian crossings/measures
- Cycle facilities
- School Streets
Behavioural change measures
The SSEZ’s included a package of behavioural change measures that will encourage behavioural change and improve safety outside and in the area around the schools.
These behavioural change measures included one or more of the following:
- 5 minute walk zones
- Park ‘n’ Stride
- School streets
- Anti-idling and air quality toolkits
- Student sign and banner design competitions
- Cycle pods and scooter pods
- Modeshifts STARS Education
- Walking initiatives/Walk To School Outreach project in Swindon Living Streets
In addition to above all schools were provided with the following Sustainable Transport Activities that they could get involved with:
- Modeshift STARS, Getting involved will all count towards the Modeshift STARS accreditation. If your school need any information or advice on this, please see the Swindon Travel choices website and contact our Travel Plan Advisor on swindontravelchoices@swindon.gov.uk.
- Clean Air Day website has a range of information and resources
- TravelWise Week takes place between 16 and 22 September each year and promotes active travel, public transport, and other cleaner and healthier transport choices and culminates with World Car Free Day where everyone is challenged to Travel Wisely by ditching the car and finding an alternative mode of travel. Schools can arrange events for just a day or two of the week, or celebrate all week.
- September is Catch the bus month and the organisers are keen for organisations/schools to register and hold an activity that promotes bus use during September
- The Platform project is an award-winning rail education scheme that works with schools to empower young people in accessing the railways. Through free workshops, train-trips, and bespoke, local resources, Platform helps teachers to build their students’ knowledge of rail-safety, their understanding of sustainable and healthy travel, and their confidence in using trains. It’s currently free for schools. Get in touch at: info@raileducation.org.uk
- Road Safety Week is Brake's biggest road safety campaign. Every year, thousands of schools, organisations and communities get involved to share important road safety messages and join our call for safe roads for everyone. In 2025, it takes place from 16 to 22 November and schools can sign up on the Brake website.
- The Swindon Summer Trails Challenge will take place across the six week Summer holiday. This is a series of short trails for families to walk, with a prize draw to enter and free badges to collect. This year, additional trails will be added. We can get promotional leaflets to schools ahead of the launch, email swindontravelchoices@swindon.gov.uk, if you are able to help distribute the publicity.
The design of each SSEZ was bespoke to the individual circumstances and characteristics of each school, its location and the current behaviours of its pupils, parents and carers.
Engineering and educational measures
The programme considered engineering and/or education based measures for each school and majority of schools have seen more of the following measures introduced to deliver road safety improvements. Some of the options we will be considering are:
- road signs
- flashing wigwags - school flashing amber lights
- yellow backing boards
- waiting restrictions – typically mandatory, 'School Keep Clear' markings
- a localised speed limit change
- road markings and text coloured road surface panels
- traffic calming features - vertical and horizontal
- cycle facilities
- school streets
SSEZ programme’s achievement
We achieved:
- four established School Streets
- a multi-disciplinary approach with Traffic Management and Road Safety teams working with Stakeholders, Wiltshire Police, Schools Head/Students and Enforcement, working together outside the school to assist with changing behaviours
- a minimum school safe environment feature for all schools where appropriate
The SSEZs implemented outside Swindon’s schools have led to tangible results like:
- reduced traffic congestion
- improved air quality
- increased options to walk and cycle to school
The SSEZ programme also had a positive impact on the school environment by creating safer zones for children to arrive and leave.
Swindon Borough Council’s School Street Initiative that temporarily closed the road outside the school during peak traffic times, have significantly reduced traffic congestion around these schools gates, making it easier and safer for children to walk, cycle, or scoot to school.
These initiatives have also seen improved air quality and reduced vehicle emissions outside of the school gates, leading to lower levels of air pollution, particularly nitrogen dioxide. Cleaner air can have positive impacts on the health and well-being of students, staff, and the wider community.
Some of the SSEZ schemes have also included infrastructure improvements like speed limit reductions, improved signage, and designated pedestrian crossing areas, which have helped smooth traffic flows, reduce potential collisions and the number of vehicles parked outside of the school gates.
Further information
If you would like to find out more about the SSEZ programme, you can contact us via email at: ssez@swindon.gov.uk