18 London schools have been celebrated by Transport for London for their work to boost active travel and improve air quality, as the city continues to grapple with illegal levels of pollution near school gates.
The TfL Travel for Life awards, hosted by London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner Will Norman, recognised schools that have successfully reduced car use on the school run, helping to cut NO2 and PM2.5 emissions that disproportionately harm children’s developing lungs.
Nightingale Primary School in Redbridge reduced car usage from 30% to just 19%, while Thames View Junior School in Barking and Dagenham brought car and motorcycle use down to only 9%. William Morris School in Merton increased walking and cycling by 4%.
Poor air quality is a persistent problem outside many London schools, where idling engines during drop-off and pick-up times create toxic hotspots. The Mayor of London’s Transport Strategy includes a Vision Zero goal to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on the transport network by 2041, alongside a Healthy Streets approach designed to make everyone feel safe walking, wheeling, scooting or cycling.
Beyond reducing car journeys, schools have also installed cycle and scooter storage and helped secure School Streets – road closures around school gates at peak times. Springfield Primary School in Hackney added storage for 55 additional scooters and secured eight pool bikes. TfL has funded 469 school streets between 2022 and 2025.
Around 1,500 London schools now participate in the Travel for Life programme, delivered with the London Transport Museum and London boroughs. More than 1,000 have achieved Gold accreditation, which requires cutting car use by six per cent or ensuring 90 per cent of journeys to school use sustainable transport.
TfL encouraged more schools to join, saying the programme helps build good habits early and creates safer, greener journeys for young Londoners.
London’s Walking and Cycling Commissioner, Will Norman, said: ‘These awards recognise the outstanding work of schools across London helping more children walk, cycle and scoot to school, while improving road safety and air quality in their communities.
‘I’m delighted that more than 1,500 schools are now taking part in Travel for Life, but we want even more schools to benefit, and I encourage any schools interested in getting involved to get in touch with TfL.
‘The Mayor and I are committed to making it easier for people to choose walking or cycling on short regular journeys like the school run, as we continue building a greener, safer, better London for everyone.’
A teacher at St Peter’s Dock Primary School, Tower Hamlets, said: ‘We are so happy to be nominated as an “Inspiring school” as part of the TfL Travel for Life programme – it means so much. We have worked really hard this year on the programme and our pupils have become real advocates for reducing car use, improving safety and making sure everyone walks or cycles to school when they can. We are really proud of them.’
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