Government failing to meet walk to school target
New data reveals that the Government has likely missed its goal to get more pupils walking to school.
The Government’s Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS2), outlines the aim to make walking and cycling the natural choice for short journeys.
As part of this strategy, a target was set for 55 per cent of primary school-aged children to walk to school by 2025. The new data puts the number of 5–10-year-olds who normally walk to school at 51 per cent in 2024 – an increase of only 2 per cent from the previous year. This means the government needs to get an additional 156,000 pupils walking to school to meet their target.
The latest data also reveals that over a fifth (22 per cent) of families with children who do not walk to school said that safer roads, slower speeds, less traffic, and more considerate driving, would encourage them to walk to school more often. Nearly one in ten (9 per cent) said safer crossing points would help them choose to walk more.
In the report, there is also a target of 365 walking ‘stages’ per person per year. However, the National Travel Survey, shows that in 2024, people in England walked just 339 stages. This is up by only 4 per cent from the previous year. However, the walking distance travelled was the highest on record since 2002, with 230 miles per person per year.
Catherine Woodhead, Chief Executive of Living Streets, the UK charity for everyday walking said:
"These latest figures show why sustained investment in walking and wheeling is essential. It highlights that reducing traffic speeds, improving pedestrian crossings, and tackling dangerous driving makes walking and wheeling safer and more attractive for everyone.
“This also means putting an end to pavement parking, which forces families with pushchairs – among others – off the pavement and into oncoming traffic.”
Living Streets has been working to help the Government reach their walk to school target by running its Walk to School Outreach programme, which supported 1,050 schools in England in 2024-25.
The project is funded by Active Travel England with schools that participate in WOW – the walk to school challenge, working with the charity and local authorities to improve school streets so that they are safer and more accessible.
Catherine continues:
“The continued success of our walk to school programme demonstrates the progress that is made when we invest in walking and wheeling. Pupils that travel actively to school are not only happier and healthier, but by reducing the number of cars at the school gate, they are contributing to a more sustainable future."
For more information on our walk to school programmes, visit: livingstreets.org.uk/walk-to-school
The Department for Transport is due to publish its third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS3) in 2026.
1. There are an estimated 3.848 million children aged 5-10 in England, based on figures from Statistica: https://www.statista.com/statistics/281208/population-of-the-england-by-age-group/
2. A ‘walking stage’ is walking for all or part of a journey. For example, walking to catch a bus would count as one walking stage and one public transport stage.
About the author
Rowan Dent
PR and Media Coordinator, Living Streets / [email protected]