Oxfordshire Schools Park and Stride

What is the purpose of this survey?

Oxfordshire County Council has secured funding from Sport England to create Wayfinding routes from designated ‘Park & Stride’ car parks near your child’s school or from residential areas, so that pupils can walk all or part of the way to school. These Wayfinding routes will be highlighted by signs and highway markings between the school and the Park and Stride car parks, or nearby residential areas. 

This is intended to increase walking to school by pupils and their families, to increase physical activity levels. Physical activity has been shown to have positive benefits for educational attainment and both physical and mental health. There are additional benefits such as making the road safer around the school and reducing air pollution generated by traffic at the school gate.

We will be asking you a few questions about how you and your children travel to school. The main aim of this study is to find out how effective Wayfinding routes are at increasing active travel to or from school. We also want to understand whether people like using these Wayfinding routes, – or what stops them being used; and parents’ and children’s attitudes towards walking, cycling or scooting to school. 

Oxfordshire School Wayfinding Study

You are being invited to take part in a research study. Before you decide whether to take part, it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully.

To access this information in other languages please contact: schoolstreets@Oxfordshire.gov.uk

Who is carrying out the survey? 
The survey is being conducted by Dr Sarah Payne Riches from the Public Health team at Oxfordshire County Council, in conjunction with Public Health England. Sport England are funding this project. 

Why have I been invited to participate?

You have been invited to take part in the study because your school has implemented a Park and Stride Wayfinding route to encourage active travel to school. All parents and staff at the school will be asked to participant in this survey.  

What happens if I agree to take part?
You will be asked to complete an online survey, which should take no more than 10 min. You will be asked to answer some questions about yours and your children’s travel to school. You will be asked to provide your email address if you wish to enter the draw to win a £50 gift voucher. One voucher prize draw will be run for each school involved.  

You and your school community will benefit from a better understanding of the school travel behaviours of the school community as a whole. There are no risks or disadvantages in taking part.
 

Data protection and confidentiality
Responses to this survey will be kept strictly confidential. Research data will be kept securely at Oxford County Council, password protected, with access restricted to the research team. Data will be anonymised as soon as practicable, with personal identifiable information (e.g. email address) stored separately from research data, linked by a unique ID. For more information, please review our privacy policy: https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/council/about-website/privacy-notice

Is participation voluntary?
Taking part is voluntary – you do not have to participate if you do not want to.  If you decide to participate, you can stop at any time, without giving a reason and without any consequences. Choosing to either take part or not take part in the study will have no impact on pupil assessments or their future studies. If you withdraw from the study, any data already provided will be included in the study results unless you confirm that you want to withdraw all the data provided so far. 

If you chose to withdraw your consent, please contact the study team on schoolstreets@Oxfordshire.gov.uk 

What will happen to the results of the research study?

A summary of the findings of the study will be shared with all participating schools and will be available to all parents, guardians and pupils. Detailed results for your school will also be shared with your school.

Sport England, partner organisations and other District and County Council partners, elected members, and the public will be updated through cabinet reports, email newsletters and press releases targeted to the specific audience. We may also publish the results in an academic journal and make presentations at relevant conferences. The results of this study may be used to inform future school travel and active travel plans within Oxfordshire County Council.  

Who has reviewed the study?

This research has been approved by Public Health England Research Ethics and Governance Group.

What if I have other questions?

For further information, or if you have any queries, please contact the Wayfinding Project lead Dr Sarah Payne Riches, Public Health Team, Oxfordshire County Council          

Email: sarah.payneriches@oxfordshire.gov.uk

Complaints

If you wish to make a complaint about the conduct of the study, please contact:

Complaints Manager, Strategy Directorate
Wellington House, 133-155 Waterloo Road
London, SE1 8UG 

Or email: complaints@phe.gov.uk