Advertisement
Editor's Pick

Private schools increase air pollution on the school run by 47%

New research by parent group Solve the School Run has identified the huge impact that private schools have on the local environment, with NO2 levels increasing by 47% when they reopen after school holidays.

By contrast, when state schools return, NO2 levels increase by just 16% over what they were when all schools are closed. 

It was also found that private school traffic had a considerable impact on bus travel, with journey times increasing by more than 50%.

The research was based around Herne Hill and Dulwich in South London, using Breath London data for the period between October 2023 and August 2024.

They found that children walking to state school, while private schools were still on holiday, enjoyed considerably better air quality than they did once the private schools reopened. In fact, to maintain the same air quality on their journey, state school pupils would need to set off at 5am.

Professor Ben Barratt, Environmental Research Group at Imperial College London said: ‘It’s really interesting to see higher levels of air pollution correlating so closely with term time. We know that road transport is an important cause of both nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter. We’re really pleased to see communities using their local data from Breathe London to shed light on causes of pollution in their neighbourhood and campaigning to reduce it.’

A similar phenomena was identified last year in Oxford by Cllr Emily Kerr, who found that up to 50% of congestion during the school run was caused by the city’s private schools.

She said: ‘We see a clear trend in Oxford where private schools make up about 30% of pupils but a significantly higher percentage of school run traffic within the city. Many pupils at private schools live further away than those at state schools, so these journeys can be harder for families to walk and cycle. One solution would be for private schools to invest in mini-buses for all age-groups. These would provide a cost-effective and convenient alternative to driving for parents. We are delighted to see some schools in Oxford starting to do this, and we hope that private schools in other areas of the country where there are the same school run traffic issues follow suit.’

While the independent sector educates around 5.9% of the UK’s school children, it appears that areas in which this proportion is significantly higher (the level in the wards surrounding Herne Hill junction is the same as in Oxford: 30%) are impacted excessively.

In light of these figures, Solve the School Run are calling for:

• Staffed walking lines and ‘bike buses’ to cater for working parents.
• Investment in school buses for primary pupils from private schools.
• School streets which have timed closures around school drop off and pick up times.
• More cycle paths and storage facilities to support parents using cargo bikes.

Nicola Pastore, a data analytics consultant and co-founder of Solve the School Run said ‘The data is clear – we are all affected by the school run, whether we are bus passengers, dog-walkers or families on our way to school. Solve The School Run wants to see better data on these journeys, much safer travel routes to schools for walking and cycling and parent-free travel options like staffed bike buses and school buses.’

The Walking and Cycling Commissioner for London, Will Norman said: ‘We’re calling on families in London to consider walking, cycling or using public transport for the school run, not just for environmental but for safety and health benefits, to build a better, fairer and greener London for all.’

Kate Hampson, a South London parent and member of Solve The School Run said: ‘Most days my kids and I cycle the two miles to their independent school. Otherwise we take the train and then walk/scoot the 10 minute journey from the station. Much of the bike ride is joyful thanks to closed roads and school streets. But it’s a different story near the school, where there is no bike lane and heavy traffic. Walking along the same main road from the station is also unpleasant. I want safe options for all families, so they can leave the car at home. If we can reduce the school run traffic, the air around the school will be cleaner and the roads safer for everyone.’

Paul Day
Paul is the editor of Public Sector News.

Comments

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Help us break the news – share your information, opinion or analysis
Back to top