School celebrates improvements through
Walk to School challenge
Since 2015, Living Streets has been working collaboratively to develop more active environments and communities, conducting School Route Audits (SRAs) which provide local authorities with a set of recommendations needed to deliver this vital work.
In March 2024, a School Route Audit was carried out at St Luke & St Philip’s Church of England Primary School in Blackburn following discussions with the headteacher, who had raised several concerns within the local area which were impacting the school community.
The school route audit revealed significant environmental and safety concerns surrounding the school, including the build-up of waste on the streets at multiple locations, which was attracting vermin. The pavement alongside the school grounds had deteriorated and was often flooded, forcing pupils to step into the road, there was no safe crossing point at the rear school entrance. Finally, antisocial behaviour, fly tipping, littering, graffiti, and poor lighting along the school route made the area feel unsafe and inaccessible.
Before: the school route audit revealed several environmental and safety concerns surrounding the school
“We feel like we belong now. Before I felt like the area was being completely neglected” – Samantha O’Connell, Headteacher at St Luke & St Philip’s Church of England Primary School
Fly tipping, littering, graffiti, and poor lighting along the school route made the area feel unsafe and inaccessible
Blackburn with Darwen was identified as a priority area due to significant health and income inequalities, ranking as the 14th most deprived district in England (14 out of 317, Index of Multiple Deprivation) meaning 80 per cent of pupils at the school are within the 10 per cent most deprived within the UK.
Following the School Route Audit, Living Streets prepared a report for the local authority outlining key recommendations to improve the area.
In May 2025, the council went on to implement several of these infrastructure improvements, including a safer junction with added railings, changes to the layout of the street, double yellow line road markings to avoid congestion around the school and a revitalised play area, enabling more active travel journeys to school.
“What I’d really like to see is 100 per cent of schools in Blackburn with Darwen taking part because it has a positive impact on the health of the pupils, on their families and those in the community around them" - Cllr Julie Gunn, Blackburn with Darwen Council
The recommended changes implemented by Darwen with Blackburn Borough Council have seen a significant impact on the number of pupils now travelling actively to school. During the last academic year (September 2024, to July 2025) walking journeys increased from 60 per cent to 71 per cent and reduced car journeys from a baseline of 36 per cent to 22 per cent.
Heather Farmer, Service Lead, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, said:
“Working with Living Streets’ WOW - walk to school challenge has had a positive effect on our borough and the number of children choosing to walk or wheel to school. On average, 60 per cent of journeys to school in Blackburn with Darwen are now walked or wheeled which is a brilliant outcome, and one which we hope will continue to increase.
“The WOW team are great partners to work with, supporting schools and keeping us informed throughout the process. The audit at St Lukes and St Phillips was our first School Route Audit and highlighted some unexpected barriers that the children were facing when walking to school, including fly-tipping and pests.
“Approximately 30 per cent of the primary schools within Blackburn with Darwen are actively engaged in the WOW programme, which is brilliant! We would like this to increase with all schools engaged in the programme.”
After: the route was cleared of litter and fly-tipping.
“Working with Living Streets’ WOW - walk to school challenge has had a positive effect on our borough and the number of children choosing to walk or wheel to school" - Heather Farmer, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
After: the council implemented several infrastructure improvements, including a safer junction with added railings, road markings and a dropped kerb.
Cllr Julie Gunn, Executive Member Children, Young People and Education, Blackburn with Darwen Council, said:
“What I’d really like to see is 100 per cent of schools in Blackburn with Darwen taking part because what it does is have a positive impact on the health of the pupils, on the health of their families and those in the community around them.
“Pupils come to school ready to learn and raring to go. What could be better?”
Daniel O’Connell, Project Co-ordinator, Living Streets said:
“St Luke and St Philip’s CE Primary School has shown exceptional commitment to encouraging active travel.
“By working closely with the school community to carry out a School Route Audit and gather feedback on local street conditions, the council received valuable recommendations for infrastructure improvements. It’s fantastic to see the positive impact these changes have made to the surrounding area.”